 Good morning, everybody. Please be seated. The University School of Law and our 2022 commencement ceremony. It is thrilling to see everyone here today. My name is Gregory Bowman, and I have the honor and privilege of being the dean and a faculty member at this fine law school. And I have the honor and privilege of welcoming these soon-to-be graduates to the legal profession. You woke up this morning, students. And by the end of this ceremony, you will be lawyers. You will be members of the legal profession, and my faculty and staff colleagues and I are so very proud of you. Now, law school is not easy. It is challenging. It is stressful. But the knowledge that these graduates have developed while in law school through hard work and dedication are powerful. Each one of you has the ability to change the world as you see fit. One client, one project at a time. And to be a lawyer is a noble way to live a life. And it is why I became a law professor to help others along the same path that has meant so much to me. Now, my law school faculty and staff colleagues are proud of all of you for another reason as well, which is namely that in addition to the ordinary stresses and strains of law school, you have overcome the extraordinary challenge of going to law school during a pandemic. And that is not easy, and that is an understatement. But we have been so impressed, and I have been moved by your determination. And I think that as lawyers, you will have a resiliency and a toughness, a determination that will serve you well in your lives and your careers. Because let's be honest, there is always something standing in your way. And now you know you don't have to let it stop you. You have done the impossible by going to law school and surviving and thriving in a pandemic. Even when things look impossible, they are not. You know that firsthand from experience. So I have a request. All of you who are graduating, please take a moment to pat yourselves on the back. Please pat yourselves on the back. And now please pat the people beside you on the back as well. You are each other's colleagues. You have helped each other to this moment of success. And we are really, really proud of you. Now, one mark of a great law school is a great board of directors. And our law school certainly has a great board of directors. Our board of directors is chaired by the honorable William E. Smith, judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Judge Smith, we are so pleased to have you here with us today and I'm very pleased to welcome you to the podium to make a few remarks to our graduates. Thanks, Dean. I wanna take a moment to recognize our, and it's a pleasure and a privilege to be here on behalf of the board of directors, first of all. I wanna take a moment to just recognize our terrific honorary degree recipients here. Very personal to me that these three individuals I've known for many years. Judge McConnell, who's my colleague on the Federal District Court, Judge Justice Flaherty, who I've known for 25 or more years retired from the Supreme Court and my co-teacher for I think the last 13 years. And U.S. Attorney Rollins, who, as she reminded me last night, I first met as a baby attorney in a very difficult case in which she and Judge McConnell were both attorneys on opposite sides. So it's a wonderful group of honorary degree recipients. I want to recognize our board of directors who along with the faculty and the staff and the administration of the law school work behind the scenes to make this law school what it is and to bring the value to this degree that you have all earned. We're giving of their time and their talent and their treasure. And I'd like to recognize our board of directors and ask those of them that are here who come from the business, legal, and the bench, community across Rhode Island and across the nation. Those who are here, I'd ask them just to stand and take a little recognition. I'd just like to leave you with a couple of thoughts as you get to the graduates who are the main focus of the event today. Congratulations to all of you. And I'd like to leave you with just a couple of thoughts. You're gonna get a lot of advice today. I hope you remember some of it. The first piece of advice I'd like to give you is to embrace the idea of being a servant leader. You now are a member of this wonderful profession. It's an honor to be a member of the legal profession. Remember it is a profession and you are servants. You're servants to your clients, to your communities, to the bar, take this degree that you've earned and the privilege that you have of being a lawyer and give back to the communities that you work in. Give back to the legal community, give back to you the communities where you live and work. Just remember servant leadership. Second, I'd like to encourage you to be good to yourselves and to be good to your colleagues. You're going to be lawyers for a long, long time. It's a stressful profession. It's gonna be difficult. You're gonna be highs and lows. Take care of yourself. Recognize the stress when it occurs. Deal with it. Be good to your colleagues. Last night, as we had a little reception for the honorary degree recipients, Rachel Rawlins recounted to me the very difficult case that we were involved in many years ago when she was just a baby attorney. Judge McConnell represented the plaintiff. She had some of the defendants. It was a really hard case. And Judge McConnell recounted a story about how his brother, Bob, who helped him represent the widow and the family in the case, said that frequently the widow would often ask, how's that nice woman who took my deposition years ago? That nice woman was Rachel Rawlins, who's receiving the honorary degree today. The point of this is these are lawyers, judges, public servants who have learned how to be professionals at the top of the legal profession, but have never lost the ability to be kind to each other and to be civil with each other. So in all that goes with being a lawyer and the competitiveness and the argument, don't lose sight of the fact that what goes around comes around and you should always be good to each other. And finally, stay in touch and remember that your law school, its faculty, its board, all of us are here for you if you need us. And your success is our success and don't forget your law school. Thank you. Thank you, Judge, for being with us here today and for giving us those words of wisdom. Graduates, as I've already stated today, you become lawyers and today you also become members of the Roger Williams University School of Laws alumni community. Our law school's graduates support our programs and our students of today and in the future in many important ways. They help us judge new court arguments. They mentor and hire our graduates and our students. They teach at the law school as adjunct professors. They provide financial support to the law school and to our students. And by practicing law with excellence and with the mission to serve others, they paved the way for the next generation of lawyers and leaders. And I cannot think of a better person than Nicole Benjamin, a member of our board and a graduate of our law school to welcome you to the legal profession and also welcome you into the Law Alumni Association. In addition to being a graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law as I said, she's a member of our board of directors. She's vice chair of that board and she is also on the university's board of trustees. She's a graduate of our law school in the class of 2006. She's currently a shareholder at the law firm of Adler Pollock and Sheehan in Providence, Rhode Island. It is my pleasure to welcome her to the podium today to say a few words. Nicole, thank you for being here. Thank you Dean. Good morning and good day to all honored guests, family, friends, our platform guests, Chief Judge Smith, Chief Judge McConnell, the other distinguished members of the judiciary and most importantly, very soon to be alumni. On this commencement day, it is my pleasure to bring you greetings from over 3,500 members of the Law Alumni Association. And as a graduate of the law school today, you begin your new role, one that you will play every day for the rest of your lives, that of an alumnus of this law school. For days, years and decades to come, the Law Alumni Association will be your connection to the school of law, its faculty and staff and your classmates. And I urge you to become an active member of the law alumni community. Stay in touch with your alma mater and continue to advance the interests of your law school. Your involvement will provide valuable insight, energy and support, and will keep the school of law in the upward trajectory that we've enjoyed. In recognition of your achievements, I formally welcome you to the Roger Williams University School of Law Alumni Association. Congratulations graduates. Thank you Trustee Benjamin very much. The School of Law is indeed fortunate to have awarded honorary degrees this morning to three very special members of the legal profession. Namely, the Honorable Francis X Flaherty of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the Honorable John J. McConnell Jr., who serves as Chief Judge of the U.S. District for the District of Rhode Island and United States Attorney Rachel Splain-Rollins of the District of Massachusetts. We are now pleased to recognize and honor each of these honorary degree recipients. So first I would ask Judge Smith and his role as Chair of the Law School's Board of Directors to escort the Honorable John J. McConnell Jr. to the podium. You needed an escort because that was a very long walk. Chief Judge McConnell, thank you for being here with us today. You have lived a life of impact and service in your career as a lawyer. In your role as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, you hear a full docket of both civil and criminal cases in addition to your significant administrative duties as Chief Judge. Nominated by President Barack Obama, you were confirmed to the Federal Judiciary by the U.S. Senate in May of 2011. And in your time as a member of the Federal Judiciary, you've been appointed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. of the United States Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Committee on Codes of Conduct of the Judicial Conference of the United States. You were also a past member of the First Circuit Judicial Council and the First Circuit Jury Plan Committee and you currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Federal Judges Association. Before becoming a federal judge, you had a highly successful career as a trial attorney for 25 years. You tried cases in more than 13 states, representing persons injured by asbestos and lead pain exposure. And you were also a lead negotiator for the $365 billion settlement between various states and tobacco companies. Students, that's a billion with a B. Also, at the beginning of your legal career, you clerked for the late Associate Justice, Donald H. Shea of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. You have served as a distinguished member of the Board of Trustees of Roger Williams University and over the course of many years, you have held court at our law school's location in Bristol, Rhode Island, in order to provide our students with a firsthand opportunity to see a federal court in action. And our students here, our graduates here today, have seen that and learned from you. You currently serve as chairperson of the Board of Crossroads, Rhode Island, chair of the Board of Trinity Repertory, as a member of the Board of the Nonviolence Institute and on the Board of many other community organizations. So, Chief Judge McConnell, for your lifelong service to the advancement of law and justice in the state of Rhode Island, for your meaningful public service and for your support of Roger Williams University School of Law and its students, we were honored this morning to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Law's honoris causa. Congratulations. Let's go over here and get a photo. All right, Judge, your work is not done here. You're gonna get to escort someone else to the podium. Would you please escort the Honorable Francis X Flaherty to the podium? Wherever you want. Justice Flaherty, you've made an enormous impact on the legal profession on the state of Rhode Island and the country during your lifetime. You're a lifelong Rhode Islander. You're the eldest of five children in what you have described as, and I quote, a loud, boisterous, rollicking Irish family. In my opinion, that sounds like the best kind of family possible. After finishing college, you served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970. Your service included deployment to Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta where you earned the Bronze Star for Valor as a platoon leader among other awards and decorations. Thank you for your service. After returning to the United States, you completed law school, you worked as an assistant city solicitor for the city of Warwick, and then you turned to local politics. You served three terms on the Warwick City Council followed by three terms as that city's mayor. You also served on the Rhode Island Board of Governors for higher education from 1998 to 2003. In 2003, you were appointed to the Rhode Island Supreme Court where you served for almost 18 years, writing more than 600 opinions and dissents and participating in approximately 2,500 decisions, and you retired from the court on December 31, 2020. Since 2007, you have taught students at Roger Williams University School of Law as an adjunct professor of law. From 2011 to 2020, you served on our law school's board of directors and for much of that time as vice chair. Earlier this year, you were appointed by me as the law school's distinguished jurist and residence. Justice Flaherty, for your lifelong service in support of the advancement of law and justice in the state of Rhode Island and for your unflagging support of our law school and our students, we were honored this morning to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Law's Honoris causa. Congratulations. And now, Judge Smith, if you would please escort Rachel Splain-Rollins to the podium. US Attorney Rollins, we are so proud to honor you today at this commencement ceremony. Your accomplishments to date are impressive and I am confident that you are far from done with making a difference in your career. In your position as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, you are the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the first black woman to hold that position. Nominated by President Joe Biden in July, 2021, you were confirmed to this position by the US Senate in December, 2021 and sworn in one month later in January, 2022. Prior to your confirmation, you served as Suffolk County District Attorney for three years. You were the first woman ever elected as Suffolk County District Attorney and the first woman of color ever to hold the position of District Attorney in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to that, you served as Chief Legal Counsel to the Massachusetts Port Authority and also as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. In 2007 to 2011, you served as Assistant US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, serving in both the civil and criminal divisions of that office. Earlier in your career, you worked as an attorney at Bingham-Becuchan LLP and from 1999 to 2002, you were a field attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. You started your legal career as a clerk for Associate Judge, Frederick L. Brown of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. During a 2019 visit to Roger Williams University School of Law, you said the following to our students and I quote, I cannot tell you how many people have said to me in every job I've had, oh, there's never been a woman who's done this before. There's never been a visible person of color who's done this before. You've got to put all of that noise out of your head. The work is the most important thing. Your work must be excellent. And I think those are words to live by. And so US Attorney Rawlins, for your lifelong and ongoing service to the cause of justice and equity, we were honored this morning to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Laws, honors Calza, congratulations. US Attorney Rawlins, you're up. We're so pleased to have you here to provide our commencement address today. Thank you. Thank you, Dean Bowman. And congratulations to the law school graduates of the class of 2022. On behalf of the honorary degree recipients, Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. and the honorable Frances Flaherty, retired associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, I have been given a very few short minutes to impart some wisdom upon you guys on this beautiful day. Before I do, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the many, many families parents, grandparents, guardians, siblings, significant others and friends in the audience. I know the tremendous sense of pride that you must all be feeling today, seeing your graduate earning their diploma, undoubtedly a dream turned reality after many, many years of school. And I'm sad to say, student loans are coming, but we're gonna, folks are right. In all sincerity, I hope you feel a shared sense of accomplishment because each of you have played a very significant role in their success through your love, support and continued guidance. So I only have three points to make to you today. First, we all know that people have tons of lawyer jokes. And by the way, graduates, soon to be graduates, those are the exact same people that are gonna call you when they get a drunk driving charge or speeding ticket or some other craziness they do, ignore their calls, okay? And all seriousness, I am here to tell you that ours is a noble profession. At every single critical moment in our country's history, lawyers have been at the forefront and on the front lines, changing laws, sparking conversations and starting movements, striving to always make our great nation even better and more inclusive. We get one life, one, and every single person deserves to live fully and authentically as who they are. But I need to be clear, nobody's authentic self is entitled to harm or humiliate and certainly not kill. There is no hierarchy as to who is more entitled to a full and authentic life. We are all entitled to that right. Second, see, this is gonna be quick, we're already on number two. Second, change rarely happens when we are happy and comfortable. You are now or soon to be law school graduates, I'm 51 so you guys look like your babies to me. But think of the times in your short lives where you have grown and shifted, adapted and improved, failures, losses, rejections and closed doors. They hurt, they can be awful, but they are also usually the times when we grow. Opportunities that we may have never considered or may never have been available miraculously present themselves. Exceptional people fail, what distinguishes them from everyone else is exceptional people pick themselves up quicker and get back at it. So don't be afraid of failure when you fall and you will. Get up quickly, which brings me to my third and final point, get in the game, get involved. It is so easy to complain from the sidelines or the audience. Haters are rarely in the game. They don't run for office because no one would vote for them. They don't offer viable solutions, they just complain. And sometimes their noise is loud. It can be overwhelming, deafening even, ignore it. Keep focused and keep moving toward your goals, whatever they are. If I listened to all of the people that told me I couldn't or shouldn't do something. Like for example, run for district attorney in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, which includes Boston, I would never have run for and been elected with, by the way, 80% of the vote. But nobody's counting, nobody's counting that. Nobody's counting. I wouldn't, right? And if I wasn't DA, I wouldn't be US attorney, right? So the list goes on and on and on of all the things that people have told me know about. You can make a difference right now, even at your young age. You do not have to wait like I did at the ripe old age of 46 to decide to run for office. So I will say in closing, I want you to get involved because the world needs you. So congratulations again and go Hawks. Thank you, US attorney, that was really, really wonderful. The valedictorian of the class of 2022 is Edward A. Jankarelli Jr. And it is my great pleasure to welcome him to the podium to offer his remarks. Good, almost, afternoon everyone. My name is Ed Jankarelli and in just this first sentence, this is probably the most that many of my classmates have ever heard me talk. Fear not, however I promise I didn't save it all up for now. I'm not sure how sweet my remarks will be but I can guarantee you they'll be fairly short. I am honored beyond measure to stand before you in this capacity today. The few of you who know me well can attest that I took my job as a student here very seriously but you'd also know that this honor was not something that I was ever really gunning to achieve. Don't get me wrong, I'm truly proud to have finished where I did but given the way these past few years went I am much more satisfied to have crossed a finish line at all. I certainly don't need to remind any of you how difficult this journey was for all of us and despite how it may have looked from afar it was no picnic for me either. Life gave me plenty of obstacles to navigate over the past three years and at times didn't really seem to take inventory of the obstacles already in my path. Fortunately, however I found the strength to muddle through and I'm really glad that I did. I'm grateful too that my family, my friends and my faith all helped me chart the course to the finish line. But let's be real, compared to many of you I know I had it relatively easy. I have always stood in awe of those of you who on top of a full course load managed to start, expand or just sustain your families. Who put your boots on the ground in the all important fight for racial and social justice. And who chipped away at your law school work after completing a full shift at a real job in order to stay afloat. And all of that by the way while managing not just to keep up but to shine during your law school careers. To me, anyways, you all are far more worthy of recognition than I'll ever be. Now the list of people whose support deserves my acknowledgement here is far too long for me to meet my goal of keeping this speech short. So I'll highlight only a few. A special thanks to the greatest parents in the world, Big Ed and Wendy. Whose ability to tolerate my particular brand of cantankerousness was impressive enough before law school and by this point more than merits their consideration for the Medal of Freedom. To my family, my friends and the folks who defeat the purpose of any distinction between those two categories, thanks for being the best fan section a guide could ever ask for. And to my little cousins and my other favorite group of kids, thank you for all that you do to keep my heart light. I promise you it means more than you know. Couple of folks in the Roger Williams community deserve special mention here. First, the one and only Professor Carl T. Bogus. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your research assistant for your insight and your guidance throughout my time here. And above all for your friendship. I thought about trying the whole let's go to work thing, but there's no way I could do that justice. Professor Susan Heyman. Thank you not only for being an exceptional professor. Yes, thank you not only for being an exceptional professor, but for the kindness and the grace that you showed me this past semester my grandfather passed away. Allowing me the time to take time to process and to grieve before shifting back into academic gear, lessen the burden for me and for my family during a particularly difficult time. And for that I'm forever grateful. And last but in no way least, Dean Michael Yelmoski. Thank you for the opportunity to extern with the honorable Judge Celia this year for your support throughout that experience and for everything you've done to make this law school the place that it is. If I grew up to be even 10% like you someday I'll consider myself a great success. Now, before I go I'd like to make too small but I think important requests of the class of 2022. First, let's do our best to stay humble. It's true that we've just completed an arduous academic journey. And probably true that many of us will go on to make meaningful changes to our frighteningly complicated world. But anyway you slice it and no matter what we end up contributing all of us will end each day the exact same way we started it. That is as human beings. In my view the world already has far too many people with an aggrandized sense of self-importance. So let's try not to add any more to the mix. And second, let's do our best to help others once we have the means to do so. If I've learned anything over the past few years it's that different people can experience the same event in vastly different ways. One of the attempted rallying cries from the early days of the pandemic always struck me as particularly irritating this idea that we're all in the same boat. As it turns out nothing could be further from the truth. I'm not even convinced that we're all in the same body of water frankly. But to the extent that this career gives us the opportunity to upgrade to a bigger and better boat I think it's incumbent upon all of us to offer whatever help we can to those still struggling to navigate the waters. At this point as Judge Selya would say we need go no further. Or as my new new would have said, God rest his soul. Okay, I gotta go. Best wishes and warmest regards to the class of 2022. That was fantastic Ed, thank you. Okay, so now it is time for the main event. Will the candidates for the degrees of Juris Doctor and Master of Studies in Law please rise? It gives me great pleasure on behalf of the faculty of the School of Law to certify that these candidates are eligible for the degree of Juris Doctor or Master of Studies in Law and by virtue of the authority granted by the State of Rhode Island and delegated by the Board of Trustees of Roger Williams University and the Law School's Board of Directors. I hereby confer upon each of you the respective degree for which you have been recommended with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto. Congratulations. We are now going to invite the candidates to, for graduation to please come forward to the stage and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Jared Goldstein will present each candidate. Shelby Lee Cornelius, Markey S. Morrow, Magna Cum Laude, Linda M. O'Nanian, Christopher Alton Graf Parrot, Cum Laude, Nina Swinarski, Delaney Ann Ferguson, Cum Laude, Alyssa Lynch, Courtney Marie Almeda, Sir Rose Muckway, Cum Laude, Edward A. Jankarelli Jr., Summa Cum Laude, Josie Cartaya, Skyla Jean Carvalho, Cum Laude, Diana Perez, Alyssa Chantel Harrison Esquire, Cum Laude, Raymond L. Watson, Tyino J. Palermo, Alpha Amadou Diallo, Zara Rizvi, Megan Elizabeth Driscoll Avala, Sarah Elizabeth Kravitz, Taylor K. Whale, Matthew Thompson Hefner, Tresina Monet Dickens, Mackenzie Lauren Cox, Mary Raouf Srafen, Cum Laude, Jennifer Brunner, Kirsten E. Roy, Magna Cum Laude, Gabriela Yingxian Garofalo, Garofalo, Magna Cum Laude, Cameron C. Troilo III, Cum Laude, Jared Ocer, Colin Edward Roy, Tyler Michael Gargano, Magna Cum Laude, Thomas M. Wall, Magna Cum Laude, Haley Lynn Royer, William M. Anthony Jr., Brandon M. Kemi, Cum Laude, Courtney Jean Bayone, Jonathan Goyette, Magna Cum Laude, Sangy Ongchu Sherpalama, Selena Erica Astrada, Victoria Laverne Clausel, Rebecca M. Rogers, Cum Laude, Jaden Burdick, Kerian Nicole Dengos, Cum Laude, Dominic J. Gargano, Joseph Pereiros IV, Jessica Ships Pill, Summa Cum Laude, Catherine Louise Feigenbaum, Victoria Laratanda, Casey Mariah Kilty, Cum Laude, Danielle Taylor Shadone, Taylor Nicole Russo, Alyssa Marie Seminelli, Rachel R. Townsend, Michalisker Slepko, Jeffrey Michael Desisto, Magna Cum Laude, Brooke Elizabeth Pearsons, Magna Cum Laude, Jill Elizabeth Magnus, Magna Cum Laude, Beatrice Solji Codrington, Cum Laude, Damaris Melissa Cruz, Shannon R. Griffin, Summa Cum Laude, Marcella Narvaez, Damaris G. Hernandez, Cum Laude, Rachel Beth Gagnan, Summa Cum Laude, Matthew Louis John Colabella, Ryan Christopher Coyne, Magna Cum Laude, Samantha C. Farucci, Summa Cum Laude, Jason Kirk Gerber, Amanda L. Tremonti, Kali Navarate, Cum Laude, Camilla Gladys Hussein, Esteban Rojas, Jared Bivins, Mackenzie Lee Matheson, Santo Sirigusa, Shaya Amaria Ravard, Summa Cum Laude, Carla Avalado, Cum Laude, Jeffrey J. Oates, Cum Laude, Christopher Francis Dedario, Brendan Patrick Horan, Cum Laude, Lindsay M. Farbent, Juliana Lucia David, Magna Cum Laude, Jessica Lee Ball, Amelia Ann Edwards, Cum Laude, Lindsay T. Wells, Magna Cum Laude, Devin Christopher Collins, Mary Elizabeth Burton, Kinda Ate Nasri, Oren C. Jenkins, Cum Laude, Kachuska Giselle Perez, Justin C. McCarthy Esquire, Brianna Troya, Rachel Heinrichs, Cum Laude, Luke R. Apreol, Herb Patrick Wiley, Jonathan Vajaseja, Heidi Marie Perez Silverio, Christina Marie Mora, Timothy J. White, Master of Studies in Law, Summa Cum Laude, Lindsay E. Coso, Rebecca Ruth Nardi Stoeckler, Magna Cum Laude, Leen Kaylee Sullivan Lytle, Nicoletta A. Panachia, Alexandra Elise Reynard Esquire, Cum Laude, Alainy Marie Elliott, Cum Laude, Matthew C. Schall, Madison C. Picard, Summa Cum Laude, Olivia Casillas, Jake Victor D'Amico, Logan Lassard, Cum Laude, Sarah Marie Cattino, Miss Brooklyn Aubrey Janay Crockton, Isani Sonia Castro, Leitza Chaperone-Germain, Ann Abrar, Nicholas Pazano, Eleanor Ruth Leong, Cum Laude, Roberto Dominic Tosti, Jordan Z. Sassa, Magna Cum Laude, Craig Allen Graham, Cum Laude, Rachel Sarah Murphy, Bryce Marie Pucholsky, Cum Laude, Drew E. Bartlett, Magna Cum Laude, Connor Reardon, Cum Laude, Chad O. Strom, Magna Cum Laude, Connor Edward Keefe, Andrew S. Painter, Alexandra Marie Brau, Farah Elizabeth Pierce, Cum Laude, Andrea Lewandowski, Ruth Chiyoma Wucze, Laura Martha Murnoff, Divya Raj, Nina Abinanti, Megan A. Andrews, Amanda Marie Kirkland, Alyssa Marie Nappins Esquire, Summa Cum Laude, Casey Amber Stone Esquire, Magna Cum Laude, Madeleine Eleanor McGonagall, Magna Cum Laude, Hannah Lynn DeVoe, Cum Laude, Brian Velazquez. We also recognize the graduates who are not here today, Austin Talman, Cum Laude, Brittany Paige Hayes, Alexandra Anne Gubista, Victoria Lee, Jose Lopez, Jara Botello, Kristen Anne Billings, T. Dylan Collins, Christopher V. Genev, Cum Laude, Steven Dennis Gill, Master of Studies in Law, Zachary J. Grader, Cum Laude, Mark Harrington, Jessica A. Lin, Heather Niveson, Richard Tavares Jr., Magna Cum Laude, Amanda Vieira Ries, Cum Laude, Nancy Vasquez Rios, Cum Laude, Gabrielle Brianna Benjamin, Congratulations to the Roger Williams University School of Law class of 2022. Graduates, or should I say counselors, please be seated. Now we're almost to the end of the ceremony. And before we close, I want all of our graduates, our newly-meantive colleagues in the law, to know that on behalf of all faculty and staff members at the law school, we will miss you. You have enriched our lives. You have made the law school a better place, and you are going to make the legal profession an even better profession than it already is. So my own wish for you is that I hope you lead careers and lives of meaning. Be lawyers and leaders in the way that you see fit. Strive to make the world a better place. We know you will do great things. You are ready, and you leave here with our unwavering support. After this ceremony, I invite all of you to the second floor of the law school for refreshments and to informally continue this celebration. To the members of the audience here and watching online, thank you for joining us today. This is a team effort. Our students, our new colleagues have succeeded because of your support. So thank you again, and if you would, please remain seated until the platform party and the graduates have filed out. Thank you so much for joining us today.