Newlyweds George Juzdan and Sheena Higgins pose with family, friends and Rocky the Red Hawk at their reception.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Handal
People say that college is the best four years of your life. And for Montclair State Class of 2014 graduates, and now newlyweds, George Juzdan and Sheena Higgins, that rings true. They were married on February 12, 2017, but their love story began in 2013 when they met on the Montclair State University campus.
George applied to a few colleges but ultimately decided to go to Montclair State for the convenience of being so close to his residence in Woodland Park, New Jersey. The same year they met at school, George was serving as Student Government Association (SGA) president. Since that time, George and Sheena both earned degrees from Montclair State in accounting and communication and media arts respectively.
Sheena works at Montclair State as the program assistant for the Disability Resource Center. During his time at MSU, George had an internship at the O’Connor Davies accounting firm in Paramus and the company hired him right out of college.
“You can’t get any better than that,” George’s father, Russell Juzdan said. Russell also works at the university as real estate coordinator.
Pride for Montclair State runs deep for the Juzdan family. George’s younger brother, Nicholas, graduated from the university in 2015 and his sister Janine is currently a sophomore English major. Additionally, his older brother Paul is currently getting his MBA from Montclair State’s Feliciano School of Business.
“We’re a big MSU family,” Russell said.
Although George’s mom and dad never attended the university, they love it all the same. “It’s a great education at a reasonable price,” Russell said. “The campus is always being updated and the facilities are in great shape. It’s been a great experience for my children. And it’s been a great place to work. President Cole is a great leader and has helped moved the university closer.”
George proposed to Sheena at a restaurant on the Hudson River. Their wedding ceremony was held at St. George Orthodox Church in Little Falls and the reception to follow was held at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange.
Along with their family and friends in attendance, George and Sheena’s wedding featured a lot of special guests and alumni of Montclair State, including Vice President of Student Development and Campus Life Dr. Karen Pennington, Dean Carter and even Rocky the Red Hawk.
The couple is currently enjoying their honeymoon in Jamaica, but after the church service, they had a special stop to make. They took a trip to the Montclair State campus and brought a photographer with them to take some pictures in front of the red hawk statue by College Hall.
“That’s how much they love MSU,” Russell said.
