First-Gen Success: Nicolas Radovanic of Long Valley, NJ, Named First-Gen Valedictorian
5/14/2025
Centenary University | Hackettstown, New Jersey
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A certified emergency medical technician in his hometown, Radovanic was accepted to seven medical schools and will attend the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine.
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, May 14, 2025—As a first-generation college student, Nicolas Radovanic had no one in his family to guide him in applying to college, and later, to medical school. Yet, the Long Valley, NJ, resident has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams—the Centenary University graduate was accepted to seven medical schools and will attend the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine beginning this July.
Radovanic graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average from Centenary University on Saturday, May 10, as the first-gen valedictorian for the Class of 2025, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology: Forensic Science with a minor in criminal justice. Despite his demonstrated success in college and medical school admissions, Radovanic still sometimes marvels at the path that is unfolding before him. “As a first-gen student, it’s common to feel confident, but also frightened and unnerved to the core,” said Radovanic, who grew up in a household where English isn’t the first language spoken. “To this day, I sometimes still suffer from imposter syndrome—like I don’t belong in college or medical school. But here at Centenary, everyone empowers you to be your best. It’s a place where your wings are untied and you’re able to fly.”
Growing up, school was a priority in Radovanic’s home. While they didn’t understand the college admissions and financial aid process, his parents—mother Gorica Radovanic, an immigrant from Macedonia, and father Zlatko Radovanic, who is from Croatia—supported their son’s dreams for higher education. They had tragically lost an older son shortly after Nic’s birth, a factor that eventually influenced their youngest son to pursue a career in medicine. “It was a horrible loss for my parents, especially my mother,” said Radovanic, a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) in Long Valley who also works as a medical assistant for a local doctor. “Moving through life, my biggest inspiration has always been my brother. I wanted to pursue a career that prevents the suffering my parents went through.”
At Centenary, Radovanic was a member of the Honors Program, Beta Beta Beta (Tri Beta), the biological honor society, and Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri Alpha), an honor society that recognizes the accomplishments of first-gen students. For his Honors Program capstone project, he earned a grant from the Independent Colleges and Universities of New Jersey (ICUNJ) to conduct and present independent research on the effects of algae bloom in mussels, which can also cause health problems in humans. In addition, Radovanic was a First Year Leader, as well as a founding member of the executive board and president of Centenary’s chapter of Health Occupations Students of America, which provides academic and professional support to students pursuing health professions.
Medical school will certainly be busy, but Radovanic has pledged to return to Centenary periodically to help guide students—especially first-gen students—on the application process for medical school. “I made the mistake of listening to people online who cast doubt that first-gen students or those who didn’t go to large, well-known colleges could get into medical school,” said Radovanic, who plans a career in EMS tactical and disaster medicine. “I felt like I had everything against me because I’m first-gen. But medical school has been my dream and my parents, my lifelong friend, Albert Lepore, my girlfriend, Sophia Wayner—this year’s Centenary valedictorian—and everyone at the University believed in me. Now, I want to lift up other students and help bridge them into medicine. At Centenary I’ve learned that no matter what anyone says, first-gen students have the potential to do great things.”
ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY
Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally—keys to career and personal success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs, including the world’s first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our students and local communities.