By ARIELLA MONTI
A scary place for anyone, but these students enter at a time of political, economic and environmental uncertainty. At the mid-morning commencement ceremony for grads and under-grads, the message was simple; follow your dreams.
After miserable weather on Friday, the sky cleared over the tent in Cedar Grove behind Kellenberg Hall for Saturday's ceremony honoring the 623 undergraduates and 240 graduate students. As the students headed to the tent, they passed the office balcony adjoining the office of college president Dr. Drew Bogner, who stood above and waved to his beloved students. They returned the gesture with shocked smiles and laughter. His wife, Karen, said this is a new tradition only dating back the past few years. Thousands of family members and friends, holding balloons and flowers, looked on as their loved ones filed to their seats awaiting their much deserved degrees.
Bogner welcomed students, faculty, family and friends with an address reminiscent of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He used King's famous words to set a tone of accomplishment and hope. He asked the students, "do you have a dream?" and challenged them to pursue those aspirations. He spoke of commencement speaker Erik Lindbergh, who had a dream to recreate his grandfather's famous flight from Long Island to Paris and how he attained it through hard work and persistence. "Dreams can be defined in so many different ways," he said. "You need to keep nurturing those dreams."
Afterward he presented Veronica Larini and Lindbergh with honorary degrees. Both were awarded Doctor of Laws for their tireless efforts to change the world. Larini graduated from Molloy in 1965 with a B.S. in elementary education after-which she taught for nine years. She volunteers her time to numerous charitable organizations in her community of Bernardsville, NJ. In 2003, she established a scholarship in her parents' name which is awarded to an incoming freshman entering the education program.
Lindbergh, who holds a degree in aeronautical science, is the founder and executive director of the Creative Solutions Alliance, a non-profit foundation encouraging innovative solutions to the world's problems. He is also a principle in the marketing firm Gusto! LLC and on the board of directors of both the X Prize Foundation and Aviation High School in Seattle, WA.
Lindbergh, an inspiring and engaging man, took the lectern and opened with a quote from George Barnard Shaw. "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." He asked the graduates, "What are you going to do that makes a difference?" He relayed his own journey through sickness and adversity to his success as a professional "change maker."
Using himself and others like him as examples, he encouraged the students to "foster a climate of hope and replace this current climate of fear with a Rosie the Riveter can-do attitude." He challenged them to be a little unreasonable and create a resilient and positive future for the next generation.
Bogner said most students he spoke with are positive about their future. Most will enter careers in the medical and education fields bolstered by Molloy's reputation in both industries. Valedictorian Kelli Pecora is following her dream and her passion for animals to veterinary school. She will apply to Cornell, Michigan State and Ross University for the fall 2009 school year. Friend and salutatorian, Justin Vella will also graduate with a career in mind. He is currently in the Bridge and Tunnel Authority academy.
The morning continued to buzz with excitement. Any fear or uncertainty were miles from anyone's mind. Both Bogner and Lindbergh agreed that this class shows great potential and promise. "This place is electric right now and it's extraordinary to see," said Lindbergh. "I think there's so much potential and if each individual graduate can harvest that potential, then we might have a chance to thrive and survive in the future."
