Jessica Raab Earns Degree from Centenary 30+ Years After First Starting College
5/15/2025
Centenary University | Hackettstown, New Jersey
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The director of medical education for a medical device company, Raab juggled challenging coursework and frequent international professional travel to finish her degree.
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, May 15, 2025—At 51, Hackettstown resident Jessica Raab didn’t have to finish the college degree she started more than three decades ago. Raab has a successful career with Corza Medical, where she travels the world as the Director of Medical Education. Through the years, she had enrolled in several remote college programs, but none could support her work schedule. Then, she moved to Hackettstown—and discovered Centenary University.
Raab graduated from Centenary University on Saturday, May 10, as a member of the Class of 2025, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. Reflecting on her circuitous college journey, she said, “If something is important to you, it never goes away. It’s important to always finish what you start, and every step of the way makes me a better person. Lifelong learning colors every interaction you have with others.”
After graduating high school in 1992, Raab earned a scholarship to attend a New Jersey college. However, several personal reasons caused the first-generation college student to leave, and soon after, she began working for Corza Medical. As she rose through the ranks of the company, overseas travel for the job made it nearly impossible to make meaningful progress toward her degree.
After moving to Hackettstown in 2017 with her boyfriend, Raab decided to enroll at Centenary: “We try very hard to be invested in our community and support local businesses. Plus, I live only four blocks away. Centenary is incredible, especially for non-traditional students. My advisor, Dr. Lisa Mastrangelo, has done everything in her power to make it possible for me to attend classes, no matter where I am in the world.”
Raab was a part-time student for more than three years, juggling her classwork with travel and job responsibilities. While professors sometimes offered to accommodate her busy schedule, Raab never asked for an easier path: “You still have to do the work, and you have to do it really well and take it seriously. I understood that when I didn’t complete assignments on time, I’d get a zero. So, while Centenary went out of its way to give me a great experience, ultimately it was my responsibility to get the work done.”
As she contemplates her college career, Raab values the different perspectives of her younger classmates and the support she’s had from Centenary: “As an adult student, I’ve taken away some truly great learning from other students in my classes. Today, the world is so different from the one I grew up in. Some people have a hard time embracing change, but it’s wonderful to continue learning—especially when so many people are working for your success. Centenary is a great university and a wonderful local resource.”
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.