 Bishop Cagiano, members of the Board of Trustees, deans, members of the faculty, administrators, president of the Alumni Association, alumni from the 50th anniversary class, members of the graduating class, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, as provost of the university, I would like to welcome you to the 66th commencement exercises at Fairfield University. Please remain standing for the invocation which will be offered by the most reverend, Frank J. Cagiano, Bishop Diocese of Bridgeport, and remain standing for the singing of the national anthem and the Fairfield University Alma Mater by the members of the University Glee Club under the direction of Dr. Carol Ann Maxwell Conductor, accompanied by Beth Palmer and the brass salad quintet. Let us pray, gracious and merciful God, we lift our minds, our hearts, our hands in thanksgiving and praise to you this day as we begin these commencement exercises. For we have come here to ask your abundant blessings upon our graduates who are about to embark on another phase of their life of grace. We give you thanks for all that they have accomplished, for opening their minds to the beauty of the world and its truths, to allowing them to develop their gifts and talents for they are your children, and to also give to them the opportunity to give back to our community, our society and the world. May your spirit bless their eyes so that they may see the beauty of the world and those who are in need, bless their ears to hear the cries of the poor in our midst, bless their hands to continue to reach out in service and bless their hearts so that they may always be upright women and men, always open to curiosity and the truth, to be good citizens, to be faithful women and men. May your Holy Spirit, O gracious God, grant them lives that are long, healthy, prosperous, joyful and full of peace. And we also this day ask your blessings upon their families and all gathered here, upon the wonderful faculty here at Fairfield University, for we all strive to do your holy will each day. May your blessings come upon them now in all the days of their lives, for we ask this to your honor and glory, amen. Congratulations, my friends, may God bless you all. Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? The valedictory address is chosen from among those members of the senior class outstanding for their academic achievement. This year, that honor belongs to Molly McCarty Gregory. President, members of the Board of Trustees, honored guests, members of the faculty and administration, family, friends and members of the class of 2016. Hello, and thank you for trusting me to give the speech that will set the tone for the rest of this graduation. I'm sorry in advance if it's not what you're into or if you don't think I'm funny. To my fellow students, I'm also sorry if the word graduation comes up at all in this speech. I really didn't wanna talk about it but I was told I had to mention it, so sorry. But yes, everyone, in case you weren't sure why we were dressed like this, we are graduating and just a few minutes we will take to that stage and we will run across it as someone reads our names as fast as possible and we will flash our families a smile to prove to them that we did it. We could not be more thrilled to leave college behind. This speech, to be candid with you all, is not going to be about me. I'm not going to stand up here and tell you an anecdote about my own life and how I achieved this award or that GPA. The story of how my niece sporadically dislocated last fall is not going to be used to inspire you to go climb a mountain or to take that road trip you've always wanted to. Because this day is not about me, it's about us. So to start, family and friends, I'm going to tell you the truth of how we really feel about today. As much as we say I'm ready or I am so excited to get a job, the truth is that we're terrified. We are profusely sweating beneath these robes not just because we're all wearing ponchos underneath them but because we have no idea what's coming. Graduation sneaks up on you in much the same way that weekly cheesy bread orders sneak up on your waistline. I'm speaking from experience here. Freshman year, you know that graduation is there, you know it's coming but you never really expect it to happen. As you go through college, you just don't think about it. You're too busy focusing on your friends and your classes to realize that, bam, graduation is right around the corner. Adulthood, here we come. What? The last time I checked, I was still a shrimpy freshman with more limbs and I knew what to do with. Where did those four years go? How did I get here? For the first time in our lives, we don't have a plan or to put it another way, no one has planned anything out for us. Most of us don't have an inevitable next step. Some of us, I know, are off to grad school next fall. Congratulations to all of you. Some of us are off to law school or medical school. Some of us are going to be doing service for a year, something that is truly amazing. Some of us have jobs already and some of us are still figuring it out. But for all of us, we don't know exactly what's going to happen. We don't know if we'll make friends or if we'll fail or if we'll destroy everything that we've worked towards. We don't know if we'll be big successes and make millions or if our lives are going to be a lot tougher than we ever planned on them being. But I'll tell you something else. We're all going to be okay. And I know what you're thinking. How can this woman tell me that I'm terrified and then tell me that I'm going to be okay? She doesn't know me, she doesn't know my life. But just think about it for a second. Look around you. You made it. You are all sitting here today because you made it. Not your best friend, not your grandma, you. You were the one who studied all night in Club Domenna to pass that final, who wrote that capstone paper, who did that huge presentation. And of course, we have our amazing professors, our friends, our parents who helped us along the way and who got us here. Hi, mom and dad. But the main reason you're sitting here in an outfit that would look completely ridiculous in any other context is because at the end of the day you worked hard and you committed, not someone else. Freshman year, when we all came into Fairfield from our different backgrounds, we had no idea what to expect. We didn't know if we would make friends or not, but we took a deep breath, marched across the quad and proudly donned our red lanyards that screamed, I'm a freshman, I'm new here, help me. That first week, we played birdie on a perch like there was no tomorrow. And even though we felt extremely stupid, it made us relax a little bit. We asked that person in our FYE group to come to lunch with us and they said, yes, we took our first college course ever and we somehow survived it. And now we're here. So we might be terrified and shaking and sweating, but we're surviving. If we survived the college experience, if we earned our diplomas and got through our classes and made friends, then we can survive anything else that the world has to throw at us. Fairfield has given us all of the tools that we need for the world. What's more than that sheet of paper you're going to receive in just a little while is the lessons we've all learned. And I'm not talking about an algebraic equation or learning that tequila should not be consumed past 1 a.m. It's how we've learned to be people. What is so unique about Fairfield is those four Jesuit values that we've been reminded of over and over again. In case you've forgotten what those four values are, let's refresh. Magus, striving for the greater good. Cura personalis, care for the whole person. Men and women for others. And finding God in all things. Now, here's a disclaimer. During my freshman year, I distinctly remember rolling my eyes whenever the four Jesuit values were mentioned. Little did I know that now whenever I hear the words, who am I, I immediately respond with who am I, who's am I, who am I called to be. All of you respond exactly the same way. Don't pretend that you don't. But I digress. These four core values are without question the most important thing that we learned during our time here at Fairfield. The lessons, the tests, and the essays pale in comparison. Why? Because as important as academia is, learning to become a citizen of the world, learning to be a person who cares, a person who champions for others, that is what matters. The diploma, it looks nice in a frame, but that's not the thing that will make a difference. It is you, human beings of the world. And you're ready for that world. I don't care that we're only 21, 22, 23 years old, and that none of us have 401ks yet, and that God forbid we're millennials. But I have gotten to know too many of you during my time here to not know that you are all more than capable of, as St. Ignatius of Loyola once said, going forth and setting the world on fire. Not literally, obviously, but figuratively. We have a truly amazing group of seniors here. We have engineers, nurses, accountants, doctors, teachers, lawyers, activists. Looking at you, basement babes. We have an exceptional group of musicians at this school, some of whom I'm very proud to call my friends. And this combination of talent is capable of things greater than we can ever know. It's important to remember that you don't have to win a Nobel Prize or cure cancer, or stop global warming single-handedly to change the world. In fact, the best way to set the world on fire, just to live your best life, to be a good person. It doesn't matter what you do, but take your joy and pour it into someone else. Share your fire and light with the rest of the world. And maybe you're still figuring out how to go forth and set the world on fire. And that's okay. Sometimes it's best to just sit back and let the passion you have for something, your own little flame, guide you in whatever direction you need to go in. Trust it. Trust yourself. You got through college, you can handle whatever else the world has to throw at you. Thank you for your gifts, class of 2016. Congratulations and welcome to the world. Go Stags! The president and faculty of Fairfield University have the honor to cite the following members of the graduating class who have won special recognition by their academic achievement. The Bellarmine Medal established to commemorate the patron of Fairfield University, St. Robert Bellarmine of the Society of Jesus, Cardinal and Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church is awarded to the undergraduates who throughout their entire four years of full-time study earned the highest academic average. This year's recipients earned a perfect 4.0. The 2016 Bellarmine Medal is awarded to Bridget K. Callahan, earning a BA in Psychology from Arts and Sciences, Kristen M. Fiji, earning a BA in Arts and Sciences in Communication, and Rachel E. Sterity, earning a BS in Nursing. The Alumni Association of Fairfield University selects an undergraduate student each year who has made a significant contribution of service and has loyally represented his or her school during four years of attendance. This award is known as a Loyola Medal. The 2016 Loyola Medal is conferred upon Jacqueline Aquino. The president will now officially confer the honorary degrees on the recipients. The first citation for Donald James Gummer will be read by Dr. Linda Wolk Simon, Director and Chief Curator of University Museums. President and Trustees of Fairfield University, to all who shall view these presents, greetings and peace in the Lord. Born and raised in Bridgeport to Cuban Board, oh, this is the wrong, sorry. You got a sneak preview of, I think you were born of Cuban parents, Don. Here. When he first came to New York, Donald James Gummer worked as a union carpenter, building the forms for staircases and ramps that went into making the city skyscrapers. I got a sense of how things get built, recognizing how dense and heavy buildings are at the base and how they get lighter towards the top, he says. I realized then that something massive, like a skyscraper, is actually built very simply. It was an important realization and one that has influenced Mr. Gummer's work ever since. Today, an internationally renowned artist and sculptor, he's probably best known for his soaring abstract sculptures and steel and bronze. It's work that starts out with some complexity, then strives towards simplicity and openness as it grows. Elements of floor plans and contemporary and classical architectural form are all central to his work. It's not unusual for him to combine the flexibility of rubber with the immutable strength of steel and the delicacy of stained glass. Mr. Gummer's studio in an industrial part of Queens is surrounded by the factories and ever-present construction that inspires his work. I like the idea of seeing a house in a way that no one has ever seen it, he says. He creates blueprint-like drawings before embarking on his sculptures, so he admits the piece is likely to evolve before it's complete. To start something without knowing what it's going to be like in the end is much more exciting and much more alive, he said. Mr. Gummer's current exhibition at Fairfield University's Walsh Art Gallery features over 50 drawings, watercolors, wall reliefs and sculptures, most of which can trace their origins to architecture at its most simple and stripped-down form. Rothic structures in tree cam, he says, because they defy gravity. One body of work is inspired by the Twin Towers, which Mr. Gummer used as the subject of a series of watercolors just weeks before they were destroyed on September 11th, 2001. Several years after he watched the South Tower fall, the artist returned to the subject, creating a sculpture in stainless steel. A graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Mr. Gummer went on to earn both his BFA and MFA from Yale University. Many of his works have been installed in public spaces in locations including the Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio, the Hiroshima Lying Inn Hospital in Japan, the Joseph Seagram Building in New York City and Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He's been honored with the Lewis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant and a National Endowment for the Arts Grant and was a visiting artist with the American Academy in Rome. For his dedication to his art and his ability to mold the most ordinary materials into structures both striking and inspirational, the President and Board of Trustees of Fairfield University hereby proclaim Donald James Gummer, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. The second citation for Julio Ramirez will be read by Dr. Ronald Salafia, Professor of Psychology. The President and Trustees of Fairfield University to all who shall view these presents, greetings and peace in the Lord. Born and raised in Bridgeport to Cuban-born parents, young Julio Ramirez became riveted by President John F. Kennedy's space program and the possibilities for exploration on the horizon. It was a fascination that his mother nourished, walking him down to the public library frequently so he could gather information he could not find at school. So passionate was he that he persuaded his eighth grade teacher, Sister Norbert, to let him teach a couple of classes on the subject, a feat that not surprisingly earned him the nickname Professor. But it was at Fairfield University that Dr. Ramirez focused his love of science into the study of psychology and where he became immersed in scientific exploration by working long hours, really long hours, in a laboratory with Dr. Ronald Salafia. He went on to earn both his master's and doctoral degrees at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he was repeatedly encouraged to challenge the status quo in physiological psychology. What fascinates Dr. Ramirez is the science behind psychology, specifically the neuroplasticity of the brain that allows it to structurally and functionally reorganize itself after an injury. Recovery of function after central nervous system injury remains one of the great mysteries in neuroscience and neurology. The brain is now understood to be a self, oops, I'm sorry, to be a self reorganizing system that is highly responsive to injury. He says, excuse me, his work in this area has implications for Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injuries. Today, Dr. Ramirez teaches courses in neuroscience and psychology at North Carolina's Davidson College, where he is the R. Stuart Dickinson Professor and Chair of Psychology. For 30 years, he has been an integral part of Davidson's neuroscience program as an accomplished researcher, dedicated teacher, and passionate mentor. Dr. Ramirez always involves students in his research, and many have co-authored papers with him for publication in prestigious journals. Because he recognized the need for mentoring among junior neuroscience faculty at liberal arts colleges, he created a national mentoring program in 2004. In 1989, Dr. Ramirez was named the North Carolina Professor of the Year and chosen as the National Gold Medal Professor of the Year. The National Science Foundation recognized his work in education and research with a director's award in 2004. In 2011, he was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring by President Barack Obama. He has won awards from the American Psychological Association, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and Davidson College. Just last year, he was awarded the Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring from the Society of Neuroscience. Recalling his own frustration with the lack of comprehensive science curriculum at his small Catholic grade school in Bridgeport, Dr. Ramirez has focused his energies toward making science accessible to the youngest residents of North Carolina. He is a trustee of Discovery Place Science Center in Charlotte and helped to launch Discovery Place Kids, Children's Museum in nearby Huntersville. For his commitment to science education, for the contributions he has made in the field of neuroscience, that will one day help so many people recover from injury or disease, and for his dedication to his students, the President and Board of Trustees of Fairfield University, hereby proclaim Julio Jesus Ramirez, class of 77, Doctorate of Science, Honoris Calza. The third citation for Reverend Akvon Kian-Mongay, a robator of the Society of Jesus will be read by Professor Paul Lakeland, Professor of Religious Studies. The President and Trustees of Fairfield University, to all who shall view these presents, greetings and peace in the Lord. The Reverend Akvon Kian-Mongay, a robator of the Society of Jesus, was born in the ancient city of Benin, Nigeria. Within the milieu of African religion, being familiar with the gods, goddesses, divinities, deities and ancestors of my people, he says. At 16, he chanced upon an Easter vigil at the church across the street from his house and claims he had never imagined such an entrancing religious ceremony. Shortly thereafter, he made the decision to convert to Catholicism. Growing up in a home where polygamy was practiced, Father a robator grew up with many mothers. I know what it means to say it takes a village to raise a child, he says. He has a strong identity as an African Christian. Indeed, it is the intersection of Christianity and African culture and religion that has formed the basis of much of his scholarly work. His popular book, Theology Brood in an African Pot, 2008, is his attempt to give relevance to Christian theology by explaining it in an African context. In From Crisis to Kairos in 2005, he calls the church to a new theological understanding of its mission in the context of HIV, AIDS, refugees and poverty. In Reconciliation, Justice and Peace, the second African synod in 2011, he edited a series of notable essays addressing the theme of reconciliation and justice in the wider context of globalization, post-modernity and other factors shaping the contemporary church and African society. More recently, he co-edited feminist Catholic theological ethics conversations in the world church in 2014, which seeks to highlight the changing face, color, themes and locus of feminist theological discourse. Father a robator served as the provincial of the East African province of the Society of Jesus, which encompasses Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Sudan and South Sudan from 2009 to 2014. Before he was missioned to his current post as president of Hekama College Jesuit School of Theology in Nairobi, he was a lecturer there focusing on theological ethics and ecclesiology in Africa and the world church. He is also the principal researcher for the colloquium on church, religion and society in Africa, a three-year continent-wide research project to develop new methodologies of study at the service of the African church and the world church. A gifted orator, Father a robator has spoken at conferences around the world on topics ranging from HIV AIDS, faith and ethics in a modern age and Jesuit teaching in Africa. Delivering the keynote address for the Ignatian Solidarity Network at Georgetown in 2011, he urged his audience to engage in Africa's struggle for social justice. Africa is a rich continent, he said, rich in people and cultures, rich in natural and mineral resources, but Africa is a poor continent. Today, 379 million Africans will go to bed hungry without food, without clean water, and without proper shelter. It is the continent that produced icons like Nelson Mandela, Julius Neyarari, Kofi Annan and Anjali Kijo. Yet it is home, he says, to many corrupt, ruthless and greedy dictators posing as leaders. In recognition of his impressive body of scholarly work and his academic and priestly mission to raise important issues for Africa and beyond, the President and Board of Trustees of Fairfield University hereby proclaim the Reverend Agbonke-Anmege Orovator of the Society of Jesus, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. Ladies and gentlemen, it's now my pleasure to again introduce Reverend Orovator as our 2016th commencement speaker. Class of 2016, this one is for you. A prayer of gratitude for your success from Benin City, Nigeria in West Africa. Wase no saumai, Iga yere wa koma fwano goho, Anya ma saumai, Ije sune babau, Wase vek, Wase no saumai, Anya ma saumai, Ije sune babau, Wase vek. This one is for you. President Jeffrey Von Axe of the Society of Jesus, the Chair and Board of Trustees of Fairfield University, I thank you for the invitation and privilege to address the class of 2016 and for the award of an honorary Doctor of Laws. To the cynic or outsider, commencement may seem a pointless yearly routine. A carefully choreographed academic catwalk or a monotonous ceremonial display of caps and gowns, hardly a fashion statement of note. Indeed, on this beautiful morning, I see a sea of caps as far as the eye can see, plus an array of gowns on display. It is perhaps unfortunate that caps don't talk and gowns don't walk. So on their own, they cannot refute the contention of the cynic. But today, for those who have eyes to see and hearts to comprehend, every single cap that sits atop your undefeated head tells a story, a story that is unique and extraordinary, a story of success. And every gown bedecked with the red and white of Fairfield U embodies the culmination of a journey, a special, incredible journey of inspiration. Four years on, and look what you've become. Your face is glow with pride. Your smiles radiate joy. And you are the pride and joy of your parents, families, friends, and faculty. Your pride and your joy show us that we do not gather today to partake in a routine, pointless, and monotonous ceremony. Accordingly, my friends, we celebrate and congratulate you for your amazing success and achievement. The honor and the accolade that we bestow on you today are in order. So savor it. Enjoy it. Delight in it. Part of your story began, as we have heard already, more than four years ago. When it's member of your class of 2016, studied and worked hard to maintain a competitive GPA and obtain the requisite test scores to qualify for acceptance into Fairfield University. For your parents and families, the journey stretches even further back than for years. When they worked tirelessly and made enormous sacrifices to build the resources needed to pay your tuition and meet the expenses of a four-year college education. So you, my friends, the class of 2016, on this gorgeous day of celebration and rejoicing, I say, never, ever forget the love, support and sacrifices of your parents and families. They got you here. And so too, the dedication and commitment of your professors, mentors, coaches, chaplains, counselors, staff, and administrators. Your story, your journey would not have been possible without their resolve over the last four years to make sure that not a single one of you was left behind. Today, in your story and journey, the commitment of your parents and families and your professors and administrators and staff at Fairfield have paid off. On the webpage for today's commencement ceremony, I noticed an inscription boldly emblazoned on a graduation cap. It reads, quote, I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. End quote. And how true. You see, today isn't simply a dream come true. You have not sleepwalked to Bellarmine lawn. Each one of you here present is a bundle of stories. Stories of hard work, endless labor, and tireless effort to reach the finish line. And yes, along the way, there were moments of fulfillment and disappointment, elation and desperation. Each one of you, my friends, represents a web of commitment and dedication. The commitment of your families, the dedication and accompaniment of your professors. Each one of you is also a network of relationship, of deep caring friendship formed over the last four years, of strong, loyal bonds forged here on the campus of Fairfield, all of which will soon be tested by distance and separation along the parts that now unfold before you. Again, my friends, we gather to celebrate your success, achievement and accomplishment. And we do so joyfully, proudly and unapologetically, yet I must warn you of a temptation. The euphoria of this moment may numb your consciousness and awareness into thinking that you have arrived at that proverbial finish line. Oh yes, there are no more homework, no more tests, quizzes, exams, papers, essays, presentations. No more due dates or deliverable. And you are free at last from that nagging professor or tough grader while the truth is, my friends, in this end lies a new beginning, a life of work and higher responsibility await those of you who have jobs lined up or grad school, a time of lingering anxiety for those who continue to seek and hope soon for gainful employment. Whether you already have a job or you're still searching for one, you know that this is a moment of transition. You are standing today on the threshold of the beginning of the rest of your life. We stand with you. We stand with you at the cost of an amazing future as you are integrated into the global family of Fairfield University. When you step off this campus today, you become the newest vintage of an intellectual and spiritual tradition that was forged in the crucible of Jesuit vision of the world and Catholic faith. You become part of a legacy of Jesuit education that began not just 74 years ago when Fairfield was founded, but over 450 years ago when the first Jesuit schools were founded. You become the ambassadors of the values and beliefs of your alma mater as you step off this campus today. What does this tradition and your alma mater ask of you to be women and men for others? You've heard that a thousand times and more over the last four years. To be women and men of excellence, competence and integrity, those are things you can read on your website. But I invite you today to take a hard and discerning look at the world you are stepping into. The real world, my friends, is bigger. It is wider than the boundaries of Fairfield campus that you've come to know and love as your home. The real world, my friends, is less comfy than the familiar and safe environment of 10, 7 to 3 North Benson Road. Yes, the real world, my friends, is less tidy than the lush green manicured lawns of Fairfield. You see, my friends, ours is a volatile world beset with uncertainties. A complex world, driven by ideological differences and ambiguities. A vast and often times turbulent world marked by social and economic inequality and pockets of deep desperation. In so many parts of our world and indeed in our countries, the civil world, the kind world, has become a rare currency. As politicians and religious opponents trade insults, instigate violence and aim barbed tirades at one another. In our world, millions of women, men and children are on the move. Too many of them forcibly displaced by war and violence, poverty and climate change. For these people on the move, the opportunity of a four-year college education would be an impossible, unattainable dream. But not for you, my friends. Certainly not for you. These challenges are not deterrents. Indivulatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of our multicultural world lie opportunities for you to make a difference as you strive to grow into what you want to be. My friends, my challenge to you today is simple. Dare to fall in love with this world. Do not turn your gaze away from the bleak and dismal tragedies of displacement, migration, sectarianism, poverty. Let the tragedies and miseries of our world break your hearts. And there, in the dim recesses of our broken world, discovered a stunning beauty and the destructible dignity of our common humanity. Allow every challenge that you encounter in our world unleash the audacity of your creativity. Tap into that intellectual rigor, spiritual depth and creative imagination imparted on you at Fairfield to work for a more humane, just, sustainable and reconciled world. Yes, it is okay to work for justice and peace through service motivated by compassion and love, especially for people who are impoverished, marginalized and oppressed. I know that all this may sound daunting, even unrealistic. Your parents, families, friends and teachers are watching you and they believe in you. We believe that you have much to contribute to the healing and transformation of our broken world. So step up, my friends, class of 2016. Take your place in the world. After all, it is not for nothing that you call yourselves stags. Well, let me tell you the difference between a Fairfield stag and that lovely, graceful animal you find in the woods. You see, a stag in the woods, face on grass, leaves, shoots and twigs of plants and vines, of which there is an abundance on campus. On the contrary, you, my friends, are women and men whose intellectual capacity and leadership ability have been horned by a world-class faculty and administrators and staff. Stags in the woods survive on grass, but Fairfield stags thrive on respect for the dignity of neighbor, regardless of color, race or ethnicity. Real Fairfield stags strive for social and economic inclusion and cultural acceptance rather than separation and division. And that is not all. As a graduating class of Fairfield stags, you have another unique resource. You are now part of a global family, the alumni of Fairfield University. You do not go into the world alone, isolated and bereft of support. You step into the world as members of a special family of global citizens. Today, your alma mater asks you to join thousands of Fairfield alumni across the globe to build a more sustainable future for your sounds, your communities, your university and your world. Finally, my friends, as you go forth, never forget your solemn duty to keep Fairfield rising. Through faith and unto total truth, may your cry swell from the sea to spy on sky. Each day and night may your hearts be true and all across the land may you always stand by Fairfield U. And so I join my voice to those of your proud parents, families and friends, President Jeffrey Von Axe, the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff of your alma mater. Together we salute you. Together we congratulate you. Together we celebrate you. For together we rise. Godspeed class of 2016. God bless you. This commencement, I would like to take the opportunity to issue a very warm welcome to the members of the class of 1966. These men represent the alumni celebrating the 50th year reunion at Fairfield University. We are honored by their presence, by their lifelong commitment to Fairfield University and for all of the traditions that this fine university espouses. I would like to take a moment to ask the members of the class of 1966 to stand and be recognized by our graduating seniors, their guests, our faculty and administration. We shall now have the presentation of candidates for degrees in course by the deans of the five schools and the conferring of these degrees by the president of Fairfield University. Jehoorah Williams will present the degree candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences, Dean Williams. Will the graduates please put on their hoods and come forward to receive their diplomas? Please withhold your applause until all graduates have been presented. Mr. President, these men and women have fulfilled all the requirements established by Fairfield University for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees and are hereby presented to the president and trustees for the conferring of those degrees. By virtue of the power vested in me by the Board of Trustees of Fairfield University in the state of Connecticut, I hereby confer the degrees on all of those presented by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Samantha Augustinelli Hope Agresta Cynthia Alexandra Sarah Almeida Gabrielle Ambrose Melissa Ambrosini Christine Angel John Angelon Gabrielle Angresano Julia Aparecio Christopher Aspromonte Carolina Atsulis Pierre Ataud Brittany Avila Megan Baer Daly Baldwin Connor Barr Matthew Bartel Michael Bartel Elizabeth Bateson Brooke Bumgartel Natalie Boparlant Albert Benavides Michelle Benavento Leland Bergen Angela Beda Emily Bishop Ruthie Blackwell Elizabeth Blasco Daniel Bowley Lynn Ann Bopp Deanna Alvarado Bosch Casey Birkney Casey Bowler Katherine Brooks Christopher Buzza Bridget Callahan Michael Callahan Kelly Camardo Matthew Caminetti Molly Camp Nicole Capiello William Carly Jit Sienke Angelo Christina DeVita Megan DeBello Elizabeth Driscoll Ryan Odupui Nye Easton Janet Christopher Elmlinger Rachel E. Lannigan Rosa Fodera Hitesmith Jacqueline Jamie Rachel Hurton Philippier Bolino Andrew Johnnian Coleman Johnson Alexander Juilliard Alyssa Julek Jamie Alicia Ashley Capsandi Makasa Patrick Kiernan Mary Kilsie Alexander Kimball Eston Megan James Knopf Jacob Knox Allison Kopp Balcek Critis Kayla Kushniewski Carly LaLiberty Anna Landau-Smith Marin Lane Kathleen LaRose Ashley LaSoda Danielle Latino Timothy Leach and Kirk Leslie Stephanie Luia Eliza Lewis Margaret Ligori Sierra Linder Hannah Livese Sean Livingston Megan Loyacono Connor Long Robert Lord Alicia Losardo Victoria Lowry Patrick Lynch Lev McGreenberg Caitlin Maglione Paul Malispina Jessica Marcolini Owen Marchetti Caroline Marin Marcellona Ann Moussara Reed Massey Ellen Masters Stephanie Metzela Jessica Mazzone Mackenzie McBurney Marin McCabe Caroline McCann Emily McCauley Anith McDonald McEldowie Tata McLaughlin Jared Zebeth McShane Leah Claretta Mills Katelyn Mitocic Shanice Mitchell Cary Moffitt Megan Malloy Alexander Mondillo Heather Mooney Jacqueline Moser Brendan Murphy Connor Murphy Annie Musakic Miranda Musetti Samantha Nancervis Katya Nash Belinda Nelson George Newton Christopher Necastro Karina Nieto Allison Nottingham John Neuiskato Kaylee Nugent Amanda Ocasio Jake Offerman Alexander Ogden Luis Ojeda Benjamin Orth McKenna O'Shea Olivia Pentel Harrison Pereira Emily Phillips Bridget Polster Thomas Raymond Raffaella Riali Cherise Reed Amanda Reese Brianna Rillian Joanna Rendon Ledesma Nicole Reidman Brianna Riley Brittany Rivera Marissa Robali Nicholas Rogers Alexandra Rosati Taylor Rosello Christine Russell Kayla Sabia Jacob Salpietro Stephanie Salvatore Angela Samarone Vivian Santos Lauren Saporito Lillian Savage Carolyn Skaglion Kristen Schatzlein Allison Schietz Amanda Schreinder Victoria Schuchman Lauren Scully Taylor Sells Moses Shackbola Roberta Shortell Amadou Sidiibi Satati Siridopoulos Aubrey Sear Deirdre Sims Catherine Sloan Maddie Smith Nicholas Solamini Connor Summers Catherine Spolestra Mary Stampoulos Lindsey Stephen Emily Stevens Brianna Stewart Olivia St. John Adrian Stewart Veronica Sugglow Cornelia Sullivan Katelyn Swazersky Arthur Tansy James Taylor Roslyn Templeton Calla Tiberi Shabeli Torres Paul Toscano Olivia Torge Alexa Tritt Calli Vaquiano Emily Vatter Michael Vetser Alexandra Verbeck Joseph Villarosa Olivia Vita Megan Warsaw Claudia Wieselowski Emily Weiss Nicholas White Jason Wurzel Lauren Wurzel Kathleen Woods Allison Wright Brittany Wright Steven Yingling Christopher Young Stephanie Ziegler Acusia Adzenya Valerie Aguian Jacqueline Aquino Nicole Barrett Seamus Barrett John Paul Beneditti Nicholas Bernier Sabra Boisvert Harriet Briggs Olivia Brooks Brian Bistrionic Nicole Karpah Christian Cardillo Michelle Collie Maria Zabula Alyssa Cicero Megan Cronin Mora Cullum Connor Daly Jesse Dickovic Amy DiGiamo Adam Dewar John Domenico Becca Demuglia Caroline Donahue Katherine Dew Miller Katherine Dicty Christian Ernst Nicole Fede Monica Felix Kylie Ferrari Brendan Flynn Olivia Fox Elizabeth Frenger Chloe Friedman Nicole Forcaro Alexander Fulco Christina Gallagher Maddie Gervaisio Miles Golembeski Ray Christian Gonzer Jenna Graziati Megan Grzbowski Michael Goraliak John Homo Rebecca Hurley Breon Carr Ann Kennedy Juliana Killop John Paul Kritzkowski Alexander LaCrosse Lupa Latif Maria Levano Victoria LaFaro Laura London Paul Lopez Sophia Loras Janza Malik Demetra Marathis Olivia Marola Jenna Massaro Amanda Massage Michaela McDonough Carrie McPhail George Naklerio James Naughton David Neubauer Renee Norrie Katie O'Brien Hadley Orr Elizabeth Pacer Damini Patel Amanda Piscitello Samantha Porter Daniel Quinn Peter Reina Lauren Riley Andrew Robinson Marco Rodis Matthew Runtandaro Michelle Rufay Ryan Saunders Dominic Sciapo III Robert Schwartz Monica Chaka Frank Segredo Chelsea Cedaris Michael Spiller Ava Zabatura Alex Tiernan Margaret Troessin Christopher Van Aken Kevin Basquez Michael Visecchio Kristen Welby Frank Zemiti Congratulations to all. The degree candidates from the Mariam Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies please stand. These men and women have fulfilled all the requirements established by Fairfield University for the Bachelor of Science degree and are hereby presented to the President and Trustees for the conferring of those degrees. By virtue of the power vested in me by the Board of Trustees of Fairfield University and the State of Connecticut I hereby confer the degree of Bachelor of Science and Nursing on all those presented by the Dean of the Mariam Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies. Will the graduates please put on their hoods and come forward to receive their diplomas. Please withhold your applause until all graduates have been presented. Elizabeth Avery Emily Baldwin Elizabeth Ball Kathleen Bednarts Alicia Britzelara Shannon Buckley Shelby Butwell Matthew Castellano Mackenzie Schaszewski Anna Columbo Julia Croto Anna Cruz Gina Currow Ashley DePaul Catherine DiStefano Carly Donis Catherine Dostal Danielle Esposito Rebecca Fallon Casey Flynn Anne Marie Franklin O'Connor Melissa Ganley Anna Grande Flores Laura Hart Erin Hastings Casey Healy Allison Jacobs Nicole Capps Jenna Kelly Madeline Carons Lindsay Clem Emily Copas Katie Koschwick Michelle Laspino Delaney Lucas Danielle Lug Marcia Lynch Jacqueline McEvoy Erin McCarthy Laura McKee Rachel Morton Deirdre Mundy Catherine Nash Brianna Noons Kelly O'Brien Sophia Pert Danielle Pitola Nicole Prudin Marissa Randoza Holly Reem Kelsey Reardon Mary Kate Riley Nicole Russell Joellen Schappeler Kathleen Sirna Talia Soriano Angelica Stabe Felicia Starapoli Rachel Storiti Kelly Traft Hong Tran Haley Wilson Rebecca Sapala Dianne Gibson Donald Gibson Dean Gibson Will the candidates for the Bachelor of Science Degree from the Dolan School of Business please stand. These men and women have fulfilled all the requirements established by Fairfield University for the Bachelor of Science Degree and are hereby presented to the President and Trustees for the conferring of those students. By virtue of the power vested in me by the Board of Trustees of Fairfield University and the State of Connecticut, I hereby confer the degree of Bachelor of Science on all those presented by the Dean of the Dolan School of Business. Will the graduates please put on their hoods and come forward to receive their diplomas. And this is impossible, but please withhold your applause until all graduates have been presented. Thank you. Jason Abate Taylor Alibrandi Alyssa Amabil Sundani Ambalang Godege Jana Anastazio Catherine Ansani Nicole Antonucci Steven Apgar Michelle Applegate Christina Armstrong Steven Aspromonte Michael Barrett Mary Kate Bassett John Bauer George Belos Jonathan Bernardo Tyler Bernstein John Bica Taylor Biggs Allison Bishop Joseph Black Morgan Bodell Robert Bonney Alexander Booth Francesco Borgagnon Mora Boyce Christina Boyle Catherine Brabazon Brooke Rachea Thomas Bronca Patrick Brosnan Megan Burns Michael Burns Mikayla Cattigan Kary Ann Cahill Nicholas Kalfa Kristi Karmada Allison Campbell Nicholas Canoni Christina Cardoza Allison Carson Paige Carter Christina Catalano Alicia Cataluci Nicholas Sarasolo Anthony Sersasimo Alexandra Charlton Kimberly Chardello Marissa Cipolloni Steven Cirillo Claire Clowson Nicholas Cogliano Matthew Collier Carolyn Collins Sean Collins Joseph Connery Megan Conlin Kylie Connellan Aaron Conners Jacqueline Diana Cooper Megan Coppola Rachel Corbett Rachel Corey Catherine Cunningham Victoria Curran Connor Dalton Richard D'Angelo Alexander Dain Brendan Dottiel Alexandra Deaton Carl Devers Keith Daniel DeBloch Kira Delia Abby DeRiso Sophia DeVita William DeWitt Taylor DeSico Matthew Dijon Domenico Ralph Despiga Spigna Nicole Donahue Caitlin Donovan Olivia Duarte Patrick Downey Alexandra Drago Ricardo Dreyfus Kyle Duffy Timothy Duggan Christopher Dunleavy Caitlin Dye Shannon Egan Brianna Engelke Kyle Espenshade Craig Esposito Alexander Istach Lauren Falkinger Gregory Figueroa Gregory Filius Andrea Finn Albert Fitch Ryan Florentine Andrew Foley Cassie Fox Jenna Fuchs Salvatore Gabrielo Steven Gadzi Mitchell Gagnon Jeffrey Gaeta Gretchen Gallagher Nicole Gallagher Erin Gagan Jack Gerard Morgan Gerard Sydney Giacalone Nina Giacci Vincent Giacovas Ashley Geitel Marcus Gilbert Malcolm Gilbert Colin Gilpatrick Guglielmo Girotto Chelsea Gravesendi Brendan Green Alexa Guarino Joseph Guiardarelli Christopher Geiger Christian Haberstadt Ariana Hadarovic Joseph Haley Victoria Heinzung Taylor Hettnick Kevin Heil Haley Hilsenrath Brendan Hogan William Hoffman Steven Houd Aaron Howell Kyle Heuben Christian Hughes Brynn Hyland Shelby Iaposi Kristen Irwin Jason Johnny Kara Jaworski Michael Johnson Michael Dukeham Ann-Marie Gergalowitz Erin Kaiser William Kamenidis Colleen Kelly John Keneely Lindsey Corey Dorothea Kikianis Ari Kilgore Alyssa Kirby Alexander Kondratev Michael Kowalski Adrian Kukula Glenn LaFountain Melissa Leibel Alec Lamo Lindsay Lane Steven Lanza Jared Lanzi Christopher Lapone Amanda LaRosa Trent Lauer Robert Lawler Romario Lemmy Claudia Leonard Serena Leghi Juliana Lister Christina Longo Sharon LaPresti Stephanie Lorenzen Andre Lucrezis Steven Lundbaum Riley Lyons Spencer Lyons Thomas MacIsaac Ryan Madaluna Daniel Mahoney Patrick Mahoney Brittany Mollin Stephanie Mannion Nicholas Merino Ryan Martin William Martin Tavia Mastriani Michael Matthews Caitlin Mazucco Brian McCann Lauren McClatchy Michelle McElroy Thomas McGann Erin McFadden Christopher McGarry Ryan McGuire Jennifer McHale Lily McLaughlin Megan McTag Morgan Meany Estefania Mendoza Tyler Meyer Vernejean Michaud Michaela Moffa George Molner Jason Maragas Emma Moran Maritza Marinville Julian Notchwiller Nicholas Mulaney Kelly Mulligan Emily Mullins Amanda Murphy Caroline Murphy Christopher Murphy Gabriel Musella Madison Navalinski Thomas Newbauer Aliana Noel Deanna Noakowsky Connor O'Callaghan Francis O'Connor Caitlin O'Donoghue Connor O'Neill Mara O'Shea William O'Sullivan Amber Oaken Joseph Ormsby Brandon Ott Anthony Padliaro Natalie Papianolis Tyler Parks Mara Passione Taylor Pawson Matthew Pallegri Adrian Prokowski Shannon Peropat George Pertesis Dima Petromal Kenneth Pickett Kathleen Pike Michelle Pleben Robert Popton Sanya Porbandawala Gianna Pastiglione Aaron Profacci Maeve Quinn Sarah Quinn Juliana Rafa Dylan Ragonis Jessica Raya Timothy Ramghi Guadalupe Ramirez Joseph Randall Patrick Redman Vincent Renzi Colleen Reynolds Lindsay Riley Luke Robinson Jessica Rodriguez Luisa Rooney Taylor Rooney Albert Rossica Adriana Rossano Michelle Rusamano Jane Ryan Kristen Ryan John Paul Sacacchini Vanessa Salvaggio Marco Sango Kevin Shearer Steven Schneider Nicole Scuderi Emily Severance Matthew Sharp Armand Sheriff Danielle Simcoe Sara Suinsky Brittany Smith Brandon Summers Colby Stabelle Caitlin Stanton Tadeo Erin Steinhaus Charles Steen Taylor Strakov Kelsey Strohoffer Taylor Studley Aidan Sullivan Shane Sullivan Catherine Sarat Peter Sweeney Kevin Sapec Renato Taiuli Alexander Taylor Noveliana Thaib Elizabeth Thiroe Christina Temperio Kelly Torsha Nicholas Torna Kristen Torres Brandon Tracy Huey Tantran Andrew Tropiano Ali Tuzole Brett Ubaldi Madeline Ubriaco Karen Vaca Andrew Valenti Heather Vanderheiden Nicole Vangeli Breanna Weaver Marianne Rose Webber John Wine Matthew Welter Evan Wesselman Emily Wysorek Don Ja Savannah Zampetti Nicholas D'Angus Joanna Zeba Kendall Zipkin Congratulations to all. We'll present the degree candidates for the School of Engineering. Dean Burdaniere. Will the candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Degrees please stand. These men and women have fulfilled all of the requirements established by Fairfield University for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Degree and are presented to the President and the Trustees for conferring of those degrees. By virtue of the power vested in me by the Board of Trustees of Fairfield University and the State of Connecticut, I hereby confer the Bachelor of Science in Engineering on those presented by the Dean of the School of Engineering. Will the degree recipients please put on their hoods and come forward to receive their diplomas. Please hold your repose until all the graduates have been presented. Please be seated. Austin Loboki Thomas Hughes Yaroslav Kahut Noelle Laflum Matthew Lazicchi Michael Loturko Aynan Loko Thomas Lukavik Phillip Meyer Kevin McCaffrey Drew Mignosa Brett Micayachek Michael Negi Tony Panther-Angsy Christopher Rutigliano Cameron Sales Gabriel Schreyer Steven Scheiner James Ercini Hasim Bohora Michael Valvano Charles Visconti Christian Brankovic Connor Wallace Austin Weselowski Kevin Wilson Kevin Zwick Congratulations to all. I would like to ask all of our new graduates to please rise and acknowledge with applause your appreciation for your faculty as teachers, advisors, and mentors. Please take your seats. It is now my pleasure to introduce the Reverend Jeffrey P. Von Arks of the Society of Jesus, President of Fairfield University, to offer remarks. Father Von Arks. Thank you, Dr. Babington. And so, my dear young friends, we come to the end. Don't worry, I'm not going to give another commencement address. I'd look pretty bad after the great one that you just heard. But I did want to exercise presidential prerogative long enough to say simply, come back. I mean that literally, of course. Come back for homecomings and reunions with your classmates to visit your friends on the faculty and in the administration. But I mean it figuratively, too. Come back to Fairfield in your memory because now memory more than presence will mediate your relationship with this university and with the friends and teachers who sit around you. We hope you remember how the education you have received here has made you the person that you are, a person to be proud of. We hope you remember the values you have learned here on this voyage of self-discovery through learning. We hope you will remember how to do the right thing, especially with your lives now that you understand a little bit better what those lives mean and what they are for. Forgive us, the administration and the faculty of Fairfield for any failings in your regard, but also remember how much we care about you and how much we care for you. You, our students, now our graduates are the reason this place exists and the reason that we, your teachers and mentors, have chosen the lives that we have. You leave Fairfield the objects of our hopes and longings, of our dreams and aspirations, and you leave, of course, with our best wishes, our blessings and our prayers. May God be with you all. Please rise. To bring our commencement to a close, President Mark Scalise of the Society of Jesus and Director of Campus Ministry will pronounce the benediction. Let us pray. Loving God, as we gather on this beautiful day to celebrate the academic achievement and character development of Fairfield University's Class of 2016, we do so with great gratitude. We ask your blessings on our new graduates as we send them forth into the world. Continue to guide their minds and hearts that they might actualize the full potential you have placed within each of them and willingly place all their gifts and talents at the service of humankind. We thank you for the gift of reason which allows our graduates to respond to your offer of love and life. Bless their professors and mentors who have so graciously shared with them their scholarship and wisdom and who so generously and selflessly have helped mold their minds and hearts while here at Fairfield. Bless the parents of our graduates, their first and finest teachers. We give you thanks for the families who have encouraged and sacrificed so much on their behalf. Bless their classmates and friends who have helped them overcome obstacles and reach heights that alone they would not have achieved. Gracious God, may the blessings of this day, recognition, affirmation, and celebration inspire all our graduates with the courage to go forth, strengthened in their resolve to elevate our common humanity, and renewed in their commitment to cultivate compassion and justice in their lives, their communities, and our world. Loving God, you have begun this good work in each of our graduates. We pray that you carry it through to completion. We make this prayer in your holy name. Amen. Will our guests please remain in their seats until those on the stage and the graduates have recessed. The 66 commencement exercises of Fairfield University are now officially concluded.