Media studies major Anthony Cona of Farmingdale, N.Y. shakes the hand of Dr. Anne Carson Daly, president of Mount Saint Mary College, as he receives his diploma on Saturday, May 16.
Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. recognized nearly 600 graduates and three honorary degree recipients at its commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16.
Of the 583 total graduates, the college awarded 112 master’s degrees and 471 bachelor’s degrees. Nearly 150 students earned degrees in nursing and related fields, and more than 120 earned degrees in business.
The ceremony was presided over by Dr. Albert Gruner, chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees.
As a bagpipe skirl filled the air, James Finn Cotter, longtime Mount English professor, once again bore the ceremonial mace and led a long procession into a tent packed with families and friends of the graduates.
The graduating students hailed from 11 states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Oregon, California, Illinois, and North Carolina.
Dr. Anne Carson Daly, president of Mount Saint Mary College, congratulated the faculty, the parents, and the seniors on a job well done.
“As you head out into the world to seek your fortune, you take with you the love, the good wishes, and the prayers of all those you have known here,” she said. “Your life path may take you very far from the Hudson Valley, but what you have learned and experienced here will go with you.”
No matter where the new alumni wind up, Dr. Daly said, “Mount Saint Mary College is a place where you will always be welcome.”
The graduating students then heard from commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient George V. Lombardi, MD, doctor of internal medicine and infectious disease specialist.
Honorary degree recipient and commencement speaker George V. Lombardi, MD, doctor of internal medicine and infectious disease specialist, told Mount Saint Mary College students that success can be measured in service to others.
Dr. Lombardi, originally from New York City, has put his medical expertise to use across the globe. In 1984, he spent seven months in eastern Kenya, researching Schistosomiasis, a disease that, at the time, afflicted 80 percent of the natives in the region. This ground-breaking study established the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in treating this infection.
By 1989, Dr. Lombardi had built a respected medical practice, specializing in tropical diseases at New York Hospital’s Cornell Medical Center, when he was summoned to Calcutta, India. The patient was Mother Teresa. Dr. Lombardi is credited with diagnosing the source of her infection and fever, and this diagnosis proved life-saving for the nun. His retelling of the inspiring story aired on World Science Day 2013, and went viral on YouTube.
Dr. Lombardi had simple, poignant advice for the graduates.
“You’re going to start your new job or internship with enthusiasm and earnestness,” he said. “You’re going to give value for value every day. I promise you, the happiest people wake up every day and ask, ‘How can I be of service?’”
While building a career, falling in love, and starting a family, not everything will go as planned, Dr. Lombardi reminded the graduates.
“You’re going to stop, and mourn, and cry, and you’re going to pick yourself up, and you’re going to go forward like a comet with love and hope and talent,” he said. “Do it with moxie, and this is how you’ll make your life your own.”
The college awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science to Carl E. Meyer, president and CEO of The Solar Energy Consortium; and James P. Smith Jr., president of Advance Testing Company, Inc.
Meyer is a proven industry executive with more than 35 years of experience in the energy and economic development sectors of the Hudson Valley and New York State. He is the president and CEO of The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), headquartered in Kingston, N.Y. TSEC is an industry-driven, not-for-profit, public-private partnership dedicated to providing regional manufacturers with technical and business support services.
Meyer retired as president and CEO of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. and executive vice president of CH Energy Group, a publicly traded holding company headquartered in the Hudson Valley. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College from 1998 through 2008, as both a member and chair. Through his generosity, The Meyer Business Research Center in the School of Business was established at the Mount.
Smith is president and Founder of Advance Testing Company, which he started in 1984 in Newburgh. Since that time, Advance Testing Company has grown to a mid-size business with more than 100 employees during the peak construction season. In 1995, Smith also founded Atech Center, Inc., a firm that specializes in construction materials testing course development and training.
From 2001 through 2010, Smith served on the Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College and co-chaired the more than $11 million capital campaign that successfully transformed the Dominican Center to a stunning, multi-use facility.
Left to right: Dr. Albert Gruner, chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees; honorary degree recipient James P. Smith Jr., president of Advance Testing Company, Inc.; honorary degree recipient and commencement speaker George V. Lombardi, MD, doctor of internal medicine and infectious disease specialist; Dr. Anne Carson Daly, president of Mount Saint Mary College; and honorary degree recipient Carl E. Meyer, president and CEO of The Solar Energy Consortium.
In a speech to the graduates, Mary Kathryn Bocskocsky ’15 of Mohegan Lake, N.Y., president of the student body, characterized the Class of 2015 as loving and generous.
“Throughout the last four years, we have watched and cheered on our fellow classmates, leaders, and teammates with the hope of achieving success,” said Bocskocsky. “Equally important was our commitment to service in the community,” she said, noting the Class of 2015’s efforts to support the Newburgh Ministry charitable organization; the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA); Hudson Valley Food Bank; Habitat for Humanity; and many of the programs held at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.
“Looking back, I can proudly say that the Class of 2015’s school spirit was always a force to be reckoned with,” she said. “Choosing Mount Saint Mary College has made us leaders who can handle any challenge. We are ready to start writing the next chapter of our book.”
The Faculty Award was presented to John Reilly, a longtime professor of history at the Mount. A faculty member since 1975, Reilly has served the college for four decades. He is the second longest-serving professor at the Mount.
Ranked a Top-Tier Regional University by U.S. News & World Report, Mount Saint Mary College offers strong career preparation in health professions, education, business, psychology, social services, and liberal arts.