“I firmly believe that we are going to excel at whatever we set out to do,” Meaghan Flatley assured fellow graduates of the Class of 2015 as she delivered the Senior Commencement Address. “More importantly, we’ll hold the door.”
On a day that featured blue skies and summerlike temperatures, the importance of carrying forward the Franciscan tradition of service to others was a common theme as Siena College celebrated its 75th Commencement, with 830 graduates joined by thousands of family and friends on May 10 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y.
Certainly, Flatley said, graduates will work hard to turn the excellent education they received at Siena into successful careers. But they’ll also remain mindful of the lessons taught through the life of Saint Francis, which guided their volunteer efforts in soup kitchens, shelters and hospitals, and will characterize how they carry themselves in the professional world.
“It’s what we do,” Flatley said. “It’s what it means to be Franciscan, to be a saint.”
With 791 students receiving Bachelor’s degrees and 39 awarded a Master of Science in Accounting, this year’s class included 347 graduates from the School of Business, 310 from the School of Liberal Arts, and 173 from the School of Science. Nearly one in three members of the Class of 2015 graduated with honors.
GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt received an honorary degree and delivered the commencement address, joking that while other colleges had Stephen Colbert, Kenneth Cole or Matthew McConaughey as commencement speakers, “I can actually give you a job.”
In fact, some 350 Siena alumni work for GE worldwide, and the company has supported Siena by awarding hundreds of student internships and gifting more than $1 million through the GE Employee Matching Program, reflecting an equal amount of employee donations.
Urging graduates to “go forth and serve,” Immelt spoke of the importance of having a purpose, learning and driving change, taking risks, and staying humble and optimistic. He also reminded graduates that there is much to be gained by seeing others succeed, which he noted was consistent with Siena’s commitment to service.
“Today, we need teamwork more than ever,” he said. “As much as the world changes, what doesn’t change is that work is ultimately about people.”
Immelt told graduates that though volatility is the new norm, no generation is better prepared for it – and that Siena grads in particular are ready to adapt and drive change.
“Your Siena education – specifically, your liberal arts education – has prepared you to do this in ways you have yet to appreciate,” Immelt said.
Echoing the words of Saint Francis, Board of Trustees Chairman Howard Foote wished the graduates great success as they “begin again.”
“Know as you go forth in today’s world as the sons and daughters of Siena College, you individually and collectively personify our community by living the tradition,” Foote said.
Those words were not lost on Class of 2015 President Sarah Czelusniak.
“Siena has been like a second family to us,” Czelusniak said, “that wants nothing less than for us to follow our dreams and to succeed.”
