Photos: Farmingdale State Celebrates Graduation

A plane crash survivor and a woman who conquered cancer.

These were just a few of the graduates who stood out in a crowd of beaming faces. Proud friends and family packed Nold Hall Saturday to see approximately 600 students graduate at the school’s 93rd commencement ceremony.

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While the emotional story of the day featured Evan Kisseloff, 21, of Oceanside, who attended three days after , everyone in the crowd had a compelling tale behind their quest for a college degree. 

Take Naomi Damus, 37, of Hempstead, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management after first taking courses in 2004. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2010 and was forced to take a year off.

But Damus is in remission, and 10 family members basked in the satisfaction of seeing her collect her diploma.

"As soon as I was done with my treatments, I came right back [to school]," Damus said. "I'm cancer free. So this was great! I went through a lot."