Rutgers Business School graduates accept speaker's challenge

Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Rutgers Health commencement speaker, Peter Seligmann, advised the Rutgers Class of 2025 to “learn to listen, challenge conventional wisdom, embrace reciprocity, and treasure curiosity.”   He said, “Seek out elders and mentors for counsel. They have made mistakes and learned from them,” then shared some words of wisdom learned since he graduated from Rutgers over fifty years ago.

Seligmann’s message aligned with Rutgers Business School’s brand: resilient, resourceful, responsible, reinventing. Graduating seniors Neha Bhat, Anum Fazal, and Norah Were exemplify Seligmann’s recommendations and the RBS brand.

Neha Bhat, BS ’25, emigrated with her family from India at age 11. When it was time to choose a college, Bhat knew she wanted to stay in New Jersey, and that Rutgers was the perfect choice.

“Rutgers is known to have such a strong network and alumni base on a global scale. Wherever you go, if you say Rutgers, they know the school, people, and culture. That was very important for me,” said Bhat. She also noted that the professors come from many different backgrounds and can offer real-life experiences from their time working in industry.

She graduated with a double major in marketing, business analytics and information technology, and a minor in psychology. Soon, Bhat will start as a global marketing new analyst for Goldman Sachs, a position she was offered as a result of an internship with the company last summer.

Anum Fazal graduated with a marketing major and a minor in psychology. Recently, she completed a 10-week internship at Reckitt, a British multinational health and hygiene consumer goods company. Fazal said, “Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to collaborate cross-functionally, develop technical and practical skills, gain insightful knowledge, and build valuable connections.”

Norah Were’s family was the first from her community to migrate from Kenya to the United States. She started her education at Raritan Community College and then transferred to Rutgers Business School. Were majored in accounting and finance. During the same Rutgers University–New Brunswick and Rutgers Health Commencement, her daughter, a Rutgers psychology major, also graduated.

While every one of the nearly 18,000 Rutgers grads earning degrees, certificates, and diplomas this year has their unique story of how it brought them to accomplish this momentous goal that needs telling, Neha Bhat, Anum Fazal, and Norah Were encompass many of these worthy stories.