Photo Caption: Jenna Betten (left), daughter of deployed New Jersey Army National Guardsman Sgt. Shawn Betten, accepts her father's college diploma from Dr. Herman J. Saatkamp, Jr., (right) President, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey during the morning graduation ceremony May 14.

    Jenna Betten was given special permission by Stockton College to accept her father's Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management at the 2004 Graduation Ceremony.   During the presentation, Jenna was given a prolonged round of applause by the audience when the announcement was made that she was accepting on behalf of her father who had been deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

    Her father joined the New Jersey Army National Guard in August 2000 and after completing Basic Training and Army Individual Training took advantage of the New Jersey Army National Guard's free college tuition program to earn his bachelor's degree.  At the same time, he was working full-time as the manager of a drugstore in Ventnor, which saw a 27 percent increase in business due to his managerial skills.  Sgt. Betten was on the Dean's List every semester and graduated cum laude.