St. Vincent College Announces 2016 Commencement Speaker

From St. Vincent's College:

St. Vincent's College is proud to welcome Rev. Larry Fullerton as the 2016 Commencement speaker. Reverend Fullerton is the executive pastor at Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield, Conn. His remarks will address the responsibility caregivers have to make life better, particularly for those most in need. The commencement ceremony will take place on Friday, May 20 at 10 a.m. at the Arnold Bernhard Arts & Humanities Center at the University of Bridgeport.

"As our graduates begin their careers, they have a tremendous opportunity to touch people's lives," explained Dr. Michael Gargano, Jr., president, St. Vincent' College. "Holistic care encompasses the body, mind, and spirit. Every new patient brings the opportunity to connect technical abilities with compassionate care-giving."

St. Vincent's College provides associate degree programs in nursing, medical assisting, radiography and general studies as well as three online bachelor's degree completion programs in nursing, radiologic sciences and healthcare administration. Through its continuing and professional studies department, the college also offers a wide range of certificate programs leading to immediate employment in the healthcare field. Opportunities are offered for full and part-time study with financial aid available to eligible students.

Reverend Larry Fullerton grew up in Milford, Conn. and graduated (1969) with a B.A. in history from Barrington College in Rhode Island. After gradation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force and rose to the rank of captain. He earned his master's degree in theology from Gordon Conwell Seminary (Mass.) in 1975 and served at College Church in Wheaton, Ill., where he was ordained. In 1998, he moved his family to Connecticut to assume the position of executive pastor at Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield, a church of approximately 1,500 attendees. He has served on the Board of Trustees at Overseas Ministry Study Center and Bridgeport Rescue Mission and is currently a member of the Town of Trumbull Ethics Commission. He is married to Dr. Susan Fullerton, MD, a pediatrician at Optimus Health Care in Bridgeport. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Black Rock Church raises funds to help provide medical assistance overseas through one to two week medical teams. These funds also support 13 local ministries, such as Bridgeport Rescue Missions, Pivot Ministries (drug and alcohol rehabilitation for men), Nehemiah Commission (after school tutoring for students), Urban Impact (inner city tutoring and recreational programs) and Royal Family Kids Camps (foster kids) in the Bridgeport and Fairfield communities.