Graduate Commencement Exercises
May 12, 2007
Proud graduate Kim Jeffs (center) with her family and her mentor Professor Lourdes Avilés (right). John Hession photos.
Over 300 graduates and their proud friends and families were treated to a beautiful spring day for commencement. During her opening remarks, President Steen commended the graduates on their hard work and dedication as well as their contributions to the academic experience at Plymouth State University. “You have become part of a team here in a very fundamental way,” she said. “We hope that we provided for you a safety net as you took risks in research. But you have also given so much to us. Having you as students has been a joy to this faculty.Working closely with talented and committed colleagues at your level is an honor.”
While many of the graduate degree recipients are already established professionally, others, like Kimberly Jeffs, are just getting started. Jeffs earned her B.S. in meteorology at PSU in 2005, and began her graduate studies the following fall. It was a decision largely inspired by the encouragement of her professor and mentor Lourdes Avilés, assistant professor of meteorology.
The rigors of pursuing her graduate degree took some getting used to for Jeffs. “The workload was unbelievable—at the beginning, it felt almost impossible,” she recalled. “But the professors drew out our full potential and taught us we are capable of a lot.”
Her graduate work also helped Jeffs narrow down her career interests. “Coming out of undergrad, I was interested in everything,” she said. “But my master’s studies shaped my interest in air quality, and that’s where I will be looking to find employment.”
No matter where PSU graduates are in their careers—the beginning, middle, or end—commencement speaker Wallace R. Stevens ’62 shared his belief that learning should not stop once a degree is earned. “…throughout life, grasp the learning opportunities whenever they present themselves,” he advised, adding, “Life is all about continued learning.”
Before the conferring of the degrees, President Steen and Interim Provost Julie Bernier presented a surprised and deeply moved Stevens with a special diploma. Said President Steen, “He graduated in 1962, but was called to officer training camp before graduation. He never had the chance to walk across the stage and receive a diploma, and we would like to take this opportunity to have him receive [it] 45 years after he earned it.”
In her closing remarks, Dennise Maslakowski, associate vice president of the College of Graduate Studies, wished the graduates well, saying, “Hold fast to your dreams. We all celebrate your success.”
Undergraduate Commencement Exercises
May 19, 2007
Sujeeta Silwal with her grandparents.
While heavy rain forced undergraduate commencement to be held indoors in three different locations across campus—Foley Gym, the Hartman Union Building, and the Silver Center for the Arts’ Hanaway Theatre—it couldn’t dampen the spirit of the PSU Class of 2007.
In her opening remarks, President Steen congratulated the graduates on their achievement, stating, “Every one of you is a success story, and we are very proud of you.”
President Steen went on to recognize the tragedy at Virginia Tech in April, as well as the passing of two members of the Class of 2007: Jessica Hamlyn, who died in a car accident in March, and Jared Barrows, who succumbed to a severe head injury in April. The Class of 2007 paid tribute to their fallen classmates with standing ovations for Jessica Hamlyn’s parents, and Jared Barrow’s mother and brother, who accepted their posthumous degrees.
Commencement speaker Linda Tarr-Whelan, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women who was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the ceremony, noted that higher education can open doors. “Being a leader means going through open doors,” she said. “But it also means wedging those doors open for others, and pulling them through—and up—with you.”
While all of the graduates had much to celebrate, for Sujeeta Silwal, receiving her PSU degree was especially meaningful. Born and raised in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, Silwal came to PSU in 2002 against the wishes of her parents, who wanted their only daughter to pursue her education close to home. As daunting as it was to leave home and study in a foreign country, “I was very excited to be here and I felt very welcome,” Silwal said.
Silwal, who majored in psychology and minored in chemistry and business administration, completed her degree in December 2006 and has been working as an assistant researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston since March. However, she felt strongly about coming back to PSU to participate in commencement exercises. While her parents, who still live in Kathmandu, were disappointed at being unable to join her for her happy day, her grandparents and brother were in attendance. “So many people helped me and supported me in different ways,” said Silwal of her time at PSU.
Although Silwal plans to continue her education—possibly medical school—for now, she’s enjoying her work in research. “I’m keeping my options open,” she said. “I’ll leave it to the future.”
Concluding the ceremony, Brooke Thornton, secretary of the Class of 2007, told her classmates, “I wish that every year [of your life] will be a wonderful year, and when you are old and reminiscing with your grandchildren, may you not be able to pick out the best years of your life, because each and every one was important.”
-Barbra Alan
John Hession photos.
