Rutgers Graduation Session at Brookdale Park | Maggie
Brookdale Park | Montclair, NJ
Maggie’s graduation session landed on one of those early April afternoons that feel like a turning point—sunny and beautiful, but still holding on to that last bit of spring chill. We met up at Brookdale Park in Montclair for her photos, and even with the breeze, Maggie looked effortlessly stunning in her white graduation dress and of course, in her traditional Rutgers regalia.
Meet The Graduate
Maggie is one of those people who brings kindness and warmth wherever she goes. She was born in New York, grew up in Taiwan, and has lived in New Jersey for the past 10 years. She lives in Randolph, NJ with her husband and two cats, Hazel and Kippy, who she absolutely adores. When she’s not studying or working, you can find her spending time with the people who mean the most to her—especially her husband and her best friends who supported her every step of the way through grad school. Maggie is also hard of hearing, something that has shaped her career path and her passion for helping others.
Maggie is graduating from Rutgers University with her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, specializing in clinical mental health. Her passion for helping others truly shines through. As someone who is hard of hearing herself, Maggie is driven to empower individuals with mental illness and physical disabilities to achieve their goals. She interned at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and is continuing her work there post-graduation, along with stepping into a counseling role.
Maggie’s Spring Graduation Session
Maggie had her makeup professionally done for the occasion by my talented friend Lauren Cheff, and she looked amazing. I always recommend that my seniors consider professional makeup if they’re comfortable with it. It gives such a boost of confidence and helps your natural features pop on camera without feeling overdone.
We started her session in the rose garden at Brookdale Park, which isn’t quite in bloom this early in the spring, but still gave us the dreamiest natural light and soft greenery as a backdrop. The sun peeked through just enough to give us that beautiful glowy feel, and Maggie looked absolutely radiant.
From there, we found a small cherry blossom tree tucked away in another corner of the park. It was just enough to give us that iconic spring feel without having to battle crowds. Even though it was chilly, Maggie was a total trooper and kept her energy up the entire session.
After wrapping up in the park, we explored a few of the nearby Montclair side streets in search of more spring color. Early April can be hit or miss when it comes to flowers, but we struck gold with a sweet little spot on a busy street corner. It had the prettiest white blooms and soft light—one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it locations that somehow turns into magic on camera. You’d never guess from looking at the photos that we were just steps away from traffic!
What’s Next for Maggie
To celebrate this major milestone, Maggie is kicking off post-grad life with trips to Puerto Rico and Las Vegas before diving into her new career chapter. She’s also looking forward to starting a family in the near future so she has quite an exciting season ahead!
Maggie, thank you for trusting me to document this moment. You radiate strength and grace, and I’m so excited to see what’s next for you!
