Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

St. John’s Tobin College of Business is set to host a memorable event for the graduating class of 2024, offering them an experience that was missed during their high school years. The college will be organizing a unique “2020 Senior Prom” for over 600 students, acknowledging the challenges they faced during the pandemic.

Tobin’s dean, Maciek Nowak, Ph.D., expressed the significance of this event, stating, “When we realized we were making plans to graduate the first cohort that started after the Covid-19 pandemic began and who experienced their first year here learning remotely, we knew Tobin had to do something special for them.”

Reflecting on the disrupted high school experience, student Isabella Lovasz recalled the sudden changes brought about by the pandemic, saying, “I’ll never forget the day the announcement came over the loudspeaker saying we were going to have two weeks off from school and to make sure everything was clean.”

Javance Corraya, a Finance major, highlighted the challenges and missed milestones faced by the Class of 2024, emphasizing, “The last four years have been a rollercoaster of challenges, growth, and unexpected turns.”

Despite the difficulties, the college's director of marketing and communications, Jennifer Goddard, emphasized the resilience of the students, noting, “There was so much uncertainty and fear surrounding basic tasks like grocery shopping or even leaving the house in 2020, they could have given up on a much bigger challenge like college.”

As students prepare to graduate, they reflect on their journey, with Joniel Arias sharing, “I was supposed to be celebrating my final year in high school ... But instead, those times were taken from me.”

Looking ahead to the future, Dean Nowak expressed confidence in the graduating class, stating, “Four years and one global pandemic later, they are graduating from St. John’s University and Tobin College of Business, many with honors and jobs at top firms already secured.”

The upcoming “2020 Senior Prom” at Tobin College serves as a symbolic gesture to honor the resilience and achievements of the Class of 2024 amid unprecedented challenges.