On Sunday, May 20, graduates and their loved ones gathered for Cabrini’s 58th Commencement Exercises, celebrating undergraduates at a 10am ceremony and master’s degree recipients and the first doctoral degree recipient at a 2:30pm ceremony.
For the first time in 18 years, Commencement was held indoors, in the Nerney Field House of the Dixon Center, due to inclement weather in the week leading up to the ceremonies. Graduates processed through faculty and staff lining the second-floor hallway of the Dixon Center before entering the Nerney Field House and processing through the aisle surrounded by their families and friends.
Cabrini President Donald B. Taylor, PhD, provided a welcome, noting that the Class of 2018 started at Cabrini the same year he did, in 2014.
“Go forth in the Cabrini tradition and do what all other Cabrini alums do every day, Live with Purpose,” Taylor said.
Sharon Shipley Zubricky (’76, P’09) presented the Mother Ursula Award—an annual award given to a nominated senior who is voted on by fellow classmates—to Molly Seaman (’18), of Denver, CO. Seaman first learned that she would receive the award just two days earlier at the Senior Send-Off. (View photos from Senior Send-Off.)
Kimberly Boyd, PhD, introduced valedictorian Maggie Javitt (’18), who was named to the President’s List each semester, was a member of the Honors Program and four academic societies, served as team captain for women’s tennis, and who, after being inspired by Cabrini’s social justice curriculum, plans to dedicate her career to tackling systemic issues plaguing the criminal justice system. Her first step is to complete a Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Cabrini next year.
Addressing her fellow classmates, Javitt said, “We are on the verge of something beautiful, the rest of our lives waiting for us. We’re not entirely sure where the future will take us, but we know our foundation is strong enough to support us while we get there.
“When we return to Cabrini as alumni, we will have made our predecessors and successors proud by the way we embody Cabrini’s core values in our everyday lives. Whether we wanted to be doctors or accountants, scientists or lawyers, teachers or artists, journalists or police officers, we can go forward into the world knowing that our heads and hearts have been shaped to work for a better tomorrow with the wellbeing of our neighbor in mind.”
Javitt reminded the Class of 2018 to thank the professors, coaches, club advisors, and parents who supported the students through their college journey.
“[Our professors] are the ones who saw greatness in us, and did not give up until we saw it in ourselves,” she said.
“We’ve reached the final page in the final chapter in a book titled College,” she said. “Tomorrow, we will be given a new book with blank pages and empty spaces just waiting to be filled. The pen is in your hand, and the story is yours to tell. So, pick a page, uncap that pen, and start writing. It’s time for a new adventure.”
After the valedictory, alumni Frank Emmerich Jr., Esq. (’92), Vice Chairman and Chair Elect of the Board of Trustees, and Terry Cavanaugh (’74), Trustee Emerita, along with President Taylor, presented an honorary degree to John D. Schanz, who is finishing his term as Chair of the Board of Trustees. The corporate technology and telecommunications executive received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
Schanz went on to give the Commencement address, which he based on what he wished he knew as a recent college graduate, including three career tips and one “important life equation,” he said.
His three career tips are: Treat everyone with respect, be able to admit when you’re wrong and never stop learning, and recognize talent when you see it and surround yourself with it.
“Your results equal your talent multiplied by your effort,” Schanz said. “If you’re sitting there saying, ‘I’m not sure, or I don’t know what my talents are,’ it’s totally OK. Life’s process of discovery will unfold in front of you if you’re listening and looking for your talents.
“The world needs you,” he said. “Graduates, be the change in the world that you want to see. And remember it’s never wrong to do the right thing.”
View all undergraduate Commencement photos on Flickr.
Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, PhD, founder and Board Chair of the LEAP Academy University Charter School, focused on living a life of purpose when addressing the post-baccalaureate graduates at the afternoon ceremony.
“If we strive to give to, not to get from, our personal relationships will be more fulfilling and you will attract wealth and meaning in your life,” said Bonilla-Santiago. “There will be times of obstacles, I promise you, and there will be challenges, but knowing who you are will help you when it’s time to fight. Fight for the life that you want, for the job that you want. Fight for the people who mean the most to you. And fight for the kind of world that you want to live in.
“If you take the unexpected opportunities when they come up, and you know yourself, and you fight for what you believe, I can promise you, that you will live a life that is rich with meaning.”
Bonilla-Santiago also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
Cabrini also awarded its first doctoral degree to Shirley Walker Dixon (’84, MEd’89), who earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.
Dixon is now also the only graduate to have received a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree from Cabrini.
View all graduate Commencement photos on Flickr.
