Bergen Community College

Bergen Community College alumnus Michael Petrazzuolo, ‘20, credits his successful educational journey and career development to Bergen’s endless opportunities.

After graduating from Bergen and receiving his associate degree in general studies, Petrazzuolo, of Oakland, transferred to Cornell University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and energy economics in 2022. Currently, Petrazzuolo is an associate on the finance and investments team at Arevon Energy, where he performs valuation analysis on prospective assets. 

“What I enjoyed most about Bergen Community College was the endless opportunities that I was able to choose from to shape my path forward after Bergen,” said Petrazzuolo. 

Prior to attending Bergen, he had believed that community colleges could not offer a quality education promised by four-year institutions. After finding out he qualified for the NJ STARS program, Petrazzuolo decided to give Bergen a chance.

At Bergen, Petrazzuolo received a valuable education and gained experience along with leadership skills. He served as the vice president of finance for the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and the treasurer for the Judith K. Winn School of Honors. 

He also served as the Research Leader for the PTK Honors in Action Project in 2020, an academic research competition where Petrazzuolo and his team conducted an experiment where they recruited 180 participants to study the effects of subliminal messages in political advertisements. The project landed in the “Top 30 Best Honors in Action Projects” out of 1300 active chapters.

To prepare for his career in finance and economics, Petrazzuolo served as the president of the Future Business Leaders of America and co-founded Bergen’s Net Impact Chapter. He enrolled the club in the Up to Us Competition, a competition focused on promoting the awareness of the United States’ debt-crisis through extensive campaigning, and placed 3rd out of 144 two-year and four-year institutions. Petrazzuolo also attended the 2019 Net Impact Conference in Detroit, Michigan to represent Bergen Community College.

“I can wholeheartedly say that attending Bergen was one of the best decisions of my life,” he said. “One of the main reasons why I want to stay connected as a Bergen alumnus is to tell my story and try to remove the stigma that is so commonly associated with attending community college.”

He advises students to have an open mind and put themselves out there. “At the end of the day, it is going to be up to you how you shape your path forward,” said Petrazzuolo. “Bergen has the resources to make your goals a reality.”

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 24,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

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