Student and Alumni Stories

Julius Moore, a doctoral student in the Department of Education Leadership, Management and Policy, came to the University with full military career experience to provide instruction and guidance to ROTC students, and went on to earn his first bachelor’s degree, a second associate degree and then his master’s, all while teaching. As a retired Army sergeant first class and former drill sergeant, he is writing his dissertation on student-veteran persistence.

Sofia Pertuz, Ph.D. ‘17 now serves as managing director for diversity, equity and inclusion for Billie Jean King Enterprises as well as senior adviser for the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for youth. Pertuz also works as a speaker, sharing with international audiences on topics of leadership, change management, social justice, and LGBTQ+ advocacy in both English and Spanish. She is also the founder and lead strategist for Mainstream Insight, LLC, which provides educational training and workshops to organizations on achieving inclusive excellence.

Tim Purnell, Ed.D. ’08, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association, was named to serve on the Governor’s Task Force on Public School Staff Shortages in New Jersey. The task force recommends ways to recruit and retain the state’s teaching staff, taking on the challenges education faces in the post-pandemic world.

Juliette Wester, M.A.E. ’12, a history teacher at Seton Hall Prep, was named “Teacher of the Year” by the Archdiocese of Newark and awarded the New Jersey Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Award by the New Jersey Council for American Private Education in 2022.

John Fanta ’17 was the most recent recipient of the WSOU Hall of Fame Young Alumnus Award at the station’s 75th anniversary celebration. Fanta is a commentator, host and reporter with FOX Sports and the BIG EAST Digital Network, and was the “voice” of the BIG EAST Conference during Seton Hall’s legendary tournament in 2017 plus several NCAA Tournament Final Fours. Fanta works with students, has acted as master of ceremonies for several events, and was the first non-student athlete to receive the Most Valuable Pirate Award.

During commencement, Grace Mariani received a bachelor of science in education degree, graduating alongside her service dog Justin, who had attended all classes with her. The video of Justin taking the diploma in his mouth went viral, having been viewed millions of times across social media.