New Brunswick Graduates Celebrate Life Lessons, Family Sacrifices at Commencement

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (June 29, 2026) - High school lessons extended far beyond textbooks for the hundreds of New Brunswick graduates who celebrated their commencement June 23 at Jersey Mike's Arena.

Speakers and students from New Brunswick High School, the Health Sciences Technology High School, the Adult Learning Center, and the P-TECH program emphasized that crucial life skills were forged in sports, music, and rigorous academics.

Graduate Daniella Pelaez, who is heading to York College to study law, credited mastering time management for her academic turnaround. "I just locked in and saw what potential I had," she said.

The graduating class included 21 students who earned associate degrees from Middlesex College alongside their high school diplomas.

Superintendent Dr. Aubrey Johnson and keynote speaker Ramon Lizardo, a 2003 graduate and Harvard professor, both honored the graduates' families. Lizardo, whose parents worked as janitors, reminded students to take pride in their work, praising his parents' quiet dignity.