RUTHERFORD, NJ – On Friday, November 10, Felician University proudly celebrated Veterans Day with the 3rd Annual Veterans Day Ruck March and ceremony, and the ribbon cutting for the Leo P. McGuire Veterans Success Center. Veterans, students, faculty, and staff made the four-mile trek from the Rutherford campus to the Lodi campus where the ceremonies took place.

Retired Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, friends, family, and a host of elected officials participated to launch the newly named Leo P. McGuire Veterans Success Center, a space for veteran students to study, socialize and seek support. Speakers at the event included Felician University Acting President Dr. Mildred Mihlon, Bergen County Commissioners Steve Tanelli, Tracy Zur, Mary Amoroso, and Germaine Ortiz, Sheriff Anthony Cureton from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, and Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.

Jason Fermin ’17, a Marine and Army veteran and chair of the Felician University Alumni Board’s Veterans Advisory Council remarked, “We offer support to student veterans and alumni as we were supported. We can empathize. We have experienced the challenges, know the sacrifices, but have also experienced the power of becoming a part of the Felician University Community and the reward of achieving our degrees.”

The Veterans Advisory Council held the inaugural Ruck March in 2021 to raise funds for veteran students. Sponsors of the march included Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Michael Bradley, Stephanie Cachez, The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, Phil DeNicola ’09, Jason Fermin, Michael J. Groskranz, Inserra Supermarkets, Karla Kaskie, Thomas Lawler, Leo McGuire ’08, Mark O’ Connell, New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars, New York Life Insurance Company, Coral Peguero, Virginia Topolski, VFW Bogota Post 5561, Cynthia Vincenti, and Timothy White.

To learn more about Felician University’s programs for veterans go to https://felician.edu/admissions/veterans-services/

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About Felician University

Felician University inspires and engages more than 2,100 undergraduate, graduate, and adult education students through programs in the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Business & Information Sciences, Nursing, and Education. Over the past five years, Felician University has ranked 3rd among private institutions in New Jersey for best value according to payscale.com and #1 Safest College Campus in New Jersey according to niche.com. The Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked one of the best online graduate nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Felician University was designated as a Military Friendly School (Gold Status) for the thirteenth year recognizing its strong support for Veteran students. The university is recognized for its diversity as an HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and MSI (Minority Serving Institution), having underrepresented students comprise more than half of the student population. With campuses in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, the Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, please visit https://felician.edu.