NYIT Old Westbury campus 2013 commencement

Number of graduates 3,125: 52 percent receiving bachelor's degrees, 48 percent advanced degrees

Irena DeMario, 27

osteopathic medicine

The Staten Island native will start a residency at Hackensack University Medical Center. "It's an amazing experience," she said, "to actually practice what we've been learning in four years of school and take on our own patients." She hopes to receive a fellowship in gastroenterology

Kenwyn Nicome Jr., 29

management information systems

The Brooklyn grad said he's "hopefully getting a job" and looking forward to "just having a good career." He is looking for work in the technology sector. What he won't miss: "A lot of long nights."

Meghan Cochrane, 29

osteopathic medicine

This day, said the Byfield, Mass., native, "is surreal." She said: "We worked so hard for the past four years for this moment."

Jessica Hernandez, 23, electrical and computer engineering

Hernandez, of Yonkers, remarked that she is "one of the few female engineers" in her class. "I hope to use my career to benefit not just myself, but my surrounding community," she said. She is searching for a job.

Staffan Alm, 24

marketing

Alm, of Enkoping, Sweden, said he hopes to work in digital media. "Everything is going online," he said. His goal is to harness "new technology to bring marketing forward."

Commencement Speaker:

NYIT president Edward Guiliano spoke about new technology and how graduates are poised to prosper because of advances. "You are prepared for this fast-evolving world," Guiliano said during his address. "The world has never been so interconnected, nor its citizens so dependent upon each other."