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DeAzhane’ M. Matthews-Rosendary became one of the first ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø graduates to earn a bachelor’s degree through a new partnership program with Erie County Community College that allows students to earn their bachelor’s after completing their associate’s degree.

Matthews-Rosendary, who graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice on Sunday, is a wife and mother of four who birthed her four baby, a girl, just as classes were set to begin this semester. Many would have stepped back, paused, or postponed. Matthews-Rosendary stepped forward.

“I feel undefeatable and prepared to undergo any storm I may face,” she said. “feel so blessed for the opportunities God has given me.”

For Matthews-Rosendary, earning her bachelor’s degree was never just about a diploma. It was about rewriting a future for herself and for the four little faces who look up to her every day.

Matthews-Rosendary also sang the National Anthem at commencement on Sunday.

With her degree in hand, she now looks ahead to a career serving the community she loves. She plans to begin work as a Juvenile Probation Officer here in Erie County while building her résumé and preparing her applications for law school, with the hope of attending in Fall 2027.