Honoring SJNY’s Class Of 2024

What made this ceremony particularly poignant was the shared experience of the majority of the graduates.

Due to the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic four years ago, they missed out on the traditional pomp and circumstance of a high school graduation and began their time in college having to navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic: mask-wearing, hybrid classrooms, temperature checks, virtual events and canceled athletics seasons among them.

Commencement — with its cheering families, proud professors and sea of decorated mortarboards — was a demonstration of the unwavering determination of the Class of 2024.

“You are survivors in many senses of the word! Many of you started college during the height of the pandemic,” commencement speaker Dr. KMarie King, a 1994 graduate of St. Joseph’s, said during an inspiring keynote address that emphasized themes of perseverance and embracing change.

“In spite of the numerous challenges, you persevered and now are graduates. Your book of life has only just begun,” continued Dr. King, the chair and chief of surgery at Albany Medical Center who advised the graduates to find and follow their own personal “North Star” toward happiness and success.

The Long Island Campus accounted for 828 of the graduates in attendance, while the Brooklyn Campus had 257 and the University’s Online Campus counted 115. Bachelor’s degrees were conferred on 928 graduates; 272 of the honorees earned master’s degrees.

“This is a day of celebration, to be sure, but it’s also a day for reflection,” Dr. Boomgaarden told a Coliseum crowd of about 5,000, speaking early on in the ceremony. “It’s a day to reflect on the values that strengthen us as members of our families and as graduates of St. Joseph’s University. All of you students stand as models of those important SJNY values.

“Spiritual depth, intellectual rigor, integrity, service and social responsibility are not just empty words to you,” he continued. “Your spirit and abilities will be more than a match for any of the obstacles the world may throw in your way.”

While acknowledging her biggest hurdle in college was getting through the pandemic, Ms. Shahinian noted the experience strengthened her.

“As soon as everything reopened, I made up for lost time and really made the most of every single experience I could,” she said. “This mentality will carry me through the rest of my life.”

“This moment has me feeling incredibly grateful — to make my parents proud, to make myself proud … and to be the first immigrant in my family to become a nurse and earn a bachelor’s,” she said.

Retired NYPD officer Michelle Powlette received a bachelor’s degree in human services, 24 years after earning her first bachelor’s degree. She plans to be a social worker.

“I want to help society as a whole with mental illness. If I could save one person, I know I have done my job. I know I can’t save the world, so I say one person,” said Powlette, a Brooklyn Campus graduate who served in the NYPD for two decades and has two adult children and two grandchildren. “I’m not doing this for me, I’m not doing this for the money, I’m doing this for the service of the people.”

Ms. Powlette will also now pursue a master’s degree in human services and leadership at SJNY.

She shared personal anecdotes, including a pivotal time during college when she joined the U.S. Army Reserves, a decision that led to leadership opportunities and personal growth.

The speaker also discussed the power of thoughts, words and actions, urging graduates to be mindful of their choices and to pursue their passions with courage and commitment.

“I can vouch for the fact that you are well-trained to take on the adventures and challenges of the next phase of your life,” she said. “St. Joseph’s provided me a safe place to develop as a young woman, and to satisfy and expand my intellectual curiosity.