On May 21, St. Joseph’s College celebrated the undergraduate Class of 2016 by conferring 776 degrees at the institution’s commencement ceremony at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury.
The keynote speaker for both the ceremonies (Arts and Sciences, Professional and Graduate Studies) was S. Helen Kearney, C.S.J., Ph.D., president of the Sisters of St. Joseph. S. Helen also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
“You need to remind yourselves that each one in this class is gifted, loved and has something to offer that warrants respect,” said S. Helen. “You have been encouraged to embrace service, not only as a student, but as a way of life.”
A separate ceremony for 271 SJC Long Island graduate students receiving master’s degrees took place on May 25 on the campus’ John A. Danzi Athletic Center. Diane Pfadenhauer, M.S., J.D., SPHR served as the ceremony’s keynote speaker. Pfadenhauer is an attorney and human resources professional, and is an assistant professor in the Graduate Management Studies program at SJC Long Island.
“Remember the fortitude, perseverance and humility that enabled you to succeed in grad school,” said Pfadenhauer. “So when you’re that manager, healthcare professional or teacher what can you do to impact that one person and make a difference in his life? With your success, growth and accomplishments in your careers you will have great leverage and resources to pay it forward.”
In addition to the 1,047 SJC Long Island graduates who were honored, three graduation speakers offered their advice to the Class of 2016: biology major Karthik Kamath ’16, speech pathology major Danielle White ’16 and special education major Caitlin Morrell ’12, M.A. ’16.
Danielle White ’16
Speech Pathology major with a minor in Psychology
“My parents have always told me to try my personal best and not to compare myself to other people. Once I heeded this advice, I began to focus on MY abilities and goals, which led to a drastic improvement in my happiness and success.”
Karthik Kamath ’16
Biology major with minors in Chemistry and Sociology
“My experience in the past four years has been wonderful. Some of the people I met on my first day of classes in 2012 are some of my best friends today. And many of the professors I had really pushed me to my full potential.”
Caitlin Morrell ’12, M.A. ’16
Adolescent Special Education With an Annotation in Severe and Multiple Disabilities
“I first decided to attend SJC for my undergraduate degree back in 2008. The faculty has been open and inviting, the curriculum has been rigorous yet manageable, and I’m finding real-world application for everything I’ve done at school.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2016!
Meet some of our newest @sjcny#alumni! Congrats, Long Island undergrads! #SJCNYGrad#Classof2016#sjcny#SJCNYCapspic.twitter.com/L21YbSqHDO
— SJCNY Alumni (@SJCNYAlumni) May 22, 2016
Congratulations to the SJC Long Island Graduate Class of 2016��! You did it��! #SJCNYGrad pic.twitter.com/YHCqgJDqQ4
— St. Joseph’s College (@SJCNY) May 26, 2016
