NJIT's 2022 Homecoming Unites Everything that Makes University Great
The 2022 Homecoming festivities at New Jersey Institute of Technology welcomed students, parents and alumni to an event-packed weekend that featured music, food, culture and plenty of Highlander spirit.
Homecoming kicked off Oct. 6 with a concert by Kenny Beats at the Wellness and Events Center. On Saturday Oct.8, the festivities included a BBQ and beer garden, carnival, a magic show by Mark Zacharia, a Hispanic Heritage Celebration that included a mariachi performance and closed with the men’s soccer team hosting New Hampshire.
Alumni, parents and families were able to see the campus buzzing. Families took tours to see the new Maple Hall and the Makerspace. School clubs set up alongside the carnival handing out information about their activities. Highlander faithful also had the opportunity to refresh their school spirit, as there was a small school shop set outside with sweatshirts, scarves and beanies.
“Today, education is phenomenally holistic,” said President Teik C. Lim in his welcoming kick-off speech. “So part of these Homecoming festivities is part of the learning experience because you come here to be educated of the mind, the heart and the soul. Engaging in homecoming, working with your colleagues and joining the festivities, it’s all phenomenal. It's all part of learning and growing up here at NJIT.”
President Teik C. Lim made emphasis on the university’s ascension and how important recognitions like NJIT jumping 114 places to No. 75 on Forbes’ 2022 list of America’s Top Colleges are great for the school.
Alumnus Robert Medina ‘75, co-chair of the Hispanic and Latinx Leadership Council (HLLC) spent the Homecoming festivities with his family and reflected on how far the university has come.
“I graduated in 1975 from NJIT, it was certainly a different campus, a different time back then, you know very few Latinos on the campus, very little diversity on the campus. And now in 2022 we have the largest incoming class, enrollment is about 12,000 students and very proud that it's not only the largest but the most diverse class as well, with 30% Latino enrollment, 10% African-American, 20% Asian-American and 31% women,” said Medina.
The increment in diversity is notable and Medina believes that the opportunities offered on campus are tremendous and will help students land multiple job offers once they complete their STEM education.
Medina, who alongside Jose Espinoza '10 received a certificate of recognition for his contributions to the university during the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, was able to show his twin 12-year-olds the campus for the first time.
“Homecoming has been such a fantastic event,” he said. “We came here earlier to the dedication of the Turf Room at the WEC Center that was being done in memory of one of the alumnus [Vince Naimoli] from 1962 who was the owner of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball team.
"So to look at the types of graduates that we've had over the years you know, somebody who graduated with a master’s in mechanical engineering from NJIT going on to be so successful in business as Vince Naimoli was is a great testament to the education you get here at NJIT.”
