MAYS LANDING — Atlantic Cape Community College will celebrate and salute the hard work, dedication, perseverance and well-earned academic successes of its graduates at the 59th Annual Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 21, 10:30 a.m. at Ocean Casino Resort’s Ovation Hall in Atlantic City.
This year’s commencement keynote address will be delivered by Jacquelyn Suarez, commissioner, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Suarez, who was appointed to her position on September 18, 2023, is leading efforts to expand affordable housing, end veteran homelessness, and strengthen shared services and homeownership opportunities. A champion of data-driven decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and solution-focused governance, Suarez has positioned the DCA as a leader in using innovative tools and strategies to address policy challenges.
Suarez is a New Jersey native and holds a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in Camden and a B.A. from American University. She is a member of the New Jersey and New York bar associations as well as the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey. Read Suarez’s full biography here.
Commencement cap and gown regalia may be purchased exclusively through the campus Follet Bookstore, either in-person or online. The deadline to purchase your cap and gown regalia is Friday, May 1. Purchases may be made in-person at the Follet Bookstore on the Mays Landing Campus (view store hours by visiting https://www.bkstr.com/atlanticcapeccstore/store-hours) and online at https://www.bkstr.com/atlanticcapeccstore/shop/graduation.
Students may attend to all of their graduation needs at this year’s Grad Fair on Thursday, April 30, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Student Center, G Building lobby on the Mays Landing campus. It will be a time for upcoming graduates to gather important information on commencement, transfer partnerships, Alumni Association benefits and available Career Services resources. The day will feature cap decorating, free on-site professional headshot photograph or graduation portrait, purchase/pick-up of commencement regalia, live musical entertainment, door prizes and refreshments, and the highly-anticipated graduation toast at 12:30 p.m.
This year’s end-of-the-school-year celebrations schedule is as follows:
- Center for Student Success Awards Ceremony: Friday, May 1, 10 a.m., Walter E. Edge Theater
- Men of Atlantic Cape Jacket Ceremony: Wednesday, May 6, 1 p.m., Room H-116
- Student Government Association Awards Ceremony: Thursday, May 7, 5 p.m. Harbor Pines Golf Club, Egg Harbor Twp. NJ
- Athletics Banquet: Friday, May 8, 12:30 p.m., Harbor Pines Golf Club, Egg Harbor Twp., NJ
- Scholarship Recognition Banquet: Monday, May 18, 6 p.m., Jonathan Pitney Gymnasium
- Radiology Graduation Ceremony: Tuesday, May 19, 3 p.m., Walter E. Edge Theater
- Academy of Culinary Arts Graduation Ceremony: Wednesday, May 20, 11 a.m., Walter E. Edge Theater
- Nurses Pinning Ceremony: Wednesday, May 20, 4 p.m., Walter E. Edge Theater
- 59th Annual Commencement: Thursday, May 21, 10:30 a.m., Ocean Casino Resort Ovation Hall
For more information on Commencement 2026, how to view the proceedings via our live stream, how to share a Graduate Spotlight story with us, additional ceremony information, FAQs and much more, visit atlanticcape.edu/graduation.
About Atlantic Cape Community College
Established in 1964, Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 34 certificate and professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May County campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.
