Quinnipiac University Confers 2,966 Degrees

Quinnipiac University confers 2,966 degrees during six commencement ceremonies

HAMDEN – Quinnipiac University conferred 2,966 undergraduate and graduate degrees during six commencement ceremonies held May 9-11.
“We say in our mission statement that our aspiration for our graduates is that they leave us as enlightened global citizens equipped for careers of the future,” Quinnipiac President Judy Olian said Sunday. “Our fervent hope is that over the last few years — every person you interacted with — every teacher, peer, advisor, coach, every professor who helped you discover talents within you that you didn’t know you had, every QU alumnus — that they all prepared you for the inevitable accelerating changes in your chosen career, and also for the capacity to be an enlightened, respectful and curious listener.”
On a beautiful, sunny Mother’s Day morning, Richard Benton, vice president and general manager at Sikorsky, urged the 833 School of Computing & Engineering and School of Business graduates to discover their “why” to guide them into the future.
“We are all different, and what drives us isn’t the same,” Benton said. “Some of you may want to solve hard technical problems at a company like Lockheed Martin. Others may want to leave a lasting footprint by becoming an entrepreneur. Your best friend may join the Coast Guard to save lives or become a teacher to make a difference. Your ‘why’ also helps to define your work-life balance or community. Just like deciding on a career, everyone’s balance is different.”
At 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dr. Barry Stein, vice president and chief innovation officer for Hartford HealthCare, challenged the 653 School of Health Science graduates to be proud ambassadors of Quinnipiac and its mission.
“The future doesn’t need more of the same, it needs more of you,” Stein said. “More of you to lead with both wisdom and heart. More of you to have impact which will be felt long after you have left the room.”
On Saturday afternoon, Eric Marrapodi, vice president of news programming for NPR, delivered the keynote address to the 736 graduates of the College of Arts & Sciences and School of Communications.
“I’ve had the chance to hang out backstage with rock stars, I’ve produced interviews with every living president,” Marrapodi said. “I’ve interviewed a serial killer behind bars and genocidaires in Rwanda. I saw the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel when Pope Francis was elected. I’ve been on the sidelines of NFL games and in the pits at NASCAR races
“And those were all great experiences. But I had to be willing to take those shots. I had to be willing to fail and fail boldly,” he added. “As you step into the next phase of your careers, you need to fail. And you need to fail boldly.”
Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, executive director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, spoke to the 537 graduates of the School of Education and School of Nursing during Saturday’s morning ceremony.
“Class of 2025, congratulations,” Loarte-Rodriguez said. “You’ve shown up…for yourselves, for your families, for your communities…despite obstacles, uncertainty and what felt like an unending gauntlet of change. You’ve earned this. Every late night, every tear, every triumph—today is yours.”
On Friday, Dr. Richard Levin, former president and CEO and current senior advisor to the president for the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, delivered the keynote address to the 84 graduates of the Frank H Netter MD School of Medicine.
“This is a very difficult time in the history of America, in the history of medicine, in the history of the world,” Levin said. “Trust in doctors and nurses has fallen dramatically since the pandemic. For the prior 100 years, these two professions were the most trusted. This is one of your mandates, shared by the 26,000 graduates of American medical schools this year — to restore this trust.”
During Friday’s evening ceremony, Craig McLean, former director of research for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, challenged the 123 graduates of the School of Law to “reach higher” and “remember your honor” in pursuit of the truth.
“Be ready for these surprises that may come to you,” McLean said. “Your opportunities will rock and they will roll you and astound you. Never underestimate what you can do, or what you will have an opportunity to do — jump at it. Volunteer. Distinguish yourself among the many. But do it with honor, not sharp elbows. Believe in yourself and be willing to try. Rely on the sense of reasonableness that has gotten you this far. Prepare for your issues and cases vigorously and thoroughly but remember your humanity.”