Local Students Graduate From College of the Holy Cross
Holy Cross celebrated 751 bachelor of arts degree recipients at its 178th Commencement held in person on Friday, May 24 at the DCU Center in Worcester. Dr. Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and former president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute delivered this year’s address to the Class of 2024 and received an honorary degree.
In her remarks, Leshin spoke about the forward-looking, visionary pioneers who have paved the way for space exploration success throughout the years, and stressed the importance of being audacious and pushing boundaries.
“So this is my challenge to you, Class of 2024 – to dare mighty things together,” said Leshin. “You certainly inherit an imperfect world. A planet, a society, with flaws. But I have faith in you.
“You have the vision. You have the intelligence and the drive. And if you can you think big, pursue audacious ideas, and do so with passion and commitment, mind-blowing things are possible.”
In addition to Leshin, Holy Cross also awarded an honorary degree to Rev. Paul F. Harman, S.J., a longtime Holy Cross administrator who played a key role in the College’s transition to coeducation 50 years ago.
The following local students earned degrees:
Elizabeth Griffith, of Charlestown, Magna Cum Laude
Nicole Soto-Guerrero, of Charlestown.
Tan Graduates From Stonehill College
Felix Tan of Charlestown, was among 625 students to process at Stonehill College’s 73rd Commencement on Sunday, May 19, 2024.
During the ceremony, Ed Cooley ‘94, head coach of the Georgetown University men’s basketball team, gave the keynote address. The speaker also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree alongside Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. ‘80, superior general of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and Jean MacCormack, former chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and former president of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
For more information about Commencement, visit Stonehill College’s website.
About Stonehill College
Stonehill College, a Catholic institution of higher learning, was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1948. Located on the beautiful 387-acre campus and former estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames in North Easton, Massachusetts, it is a community of scholarship and faith, anchored by a belief in the inherent dignity of each person.
Through more than 100 academic programs in the liberal arts, sciences, business and pre-professional field, Stonehill College provides an education of the highest caliber that fosters critical thinking, free inquiry and the interchange of ideas for over 2,500 students.
Stonehill College educates the whole person so that each Stonehill graduate thinks, acts and leads with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world.
Gwendolyn Amico Inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
Gwendolyn Amico of Charlestown, Massachusetts, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Amico was initiated at Salem State University.
Amico is among approximately 25,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 325 campuses in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”
Since its founding, more than 1.5 million members have been initiated into Phi Kappa Phi. Some of the organization’s notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards $1.3 million to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, funding for post-baccalaureate development, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.