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Bergen Community College alumnus Shawn-Anton Flenn Streitferdt Jr., ‘26, received a send-off scholarship from the College’s Foundation at the Commencement 2026 ceremony. Streitferdt, of Bloomfield, received a scholarship honoring the memory of Bergen Office of Specialized Services staff member Tiana Vega.
Receiving the scholarship made Streitferdt more grateful for choosing Bergen as the place to begin his college journey. “It meant a lot to me to receive this send-off scholarship,” said Streitferdt. “I chose Bergen because they were the only college to accept me, and I am forever thankful to the College for accepting me.”
Streitferdt expressed gratitude for his professors, who helped him stay focused on earning his associate’s degree in the liberal arts. “My professors were able to help me understand the classes and course material,” he said.
He also formed a bond with Bergen Career Center Coordinator and Academic Advisor Brendan Williams. Streitferdt credits Williams with guiding him along his academic journey to create goals that would impact his future.
Outside of connections with faculty and staff, Streitferdt values the friendships that he formed at Bergen. “I enjoyed being around the friends I made along the way,” said Streitferdt. “I didn’t have to feel like an outcast or that I didn’t belong there, and I am grateful to every single person I met at Bergen.”
Streitferdt encourages current and prospective students to not be afraid, or feel like they do not belong. “When I first came to Bergen, I felt like I was an outcast because I didn’t know anybody there, but that was until I started talking to people around the campus and became friends with them,” he said.
“I feel great and I thank God for everything through my journey,” said Streitferdt. “And I want to thank Bergen again for reading my college application and accepting me.”
Streitferdt currently works as a high school security guard, and aspires to become a basketball trainer.
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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