It all started with their great-great-grandfather Hugh Kelly, a financier who attended Fordham when it was still known at St. John’s College. He earned two graduate degrees from Fordham—a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Laws, in 1901 and 1902, respectively. His son-in-law John J. McLaughlin graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1919.

McLaughlin had a son, Hugh Kelly McLaughlin, who graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1956 and whose daughter, Frances “Gail” McCarthy, graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1988, leading the way for her two daughters.

“For me, it’s the history of it, and the warmth, and the alumni—it’s such an incredible, incredible family,” Gail McCarthy said about why she and her family love Fordham. “I have a great group of friends from my class, so we come back a lot. The alumni network is incredible. Everywhere we go, there’s Fordham everywhere, which is wonderful.”

Molly and Samantha initially resisted the family tradition, Gail McCarthy said. But Molly transferred to Fordham during her sophomore year, just like her mother had done during the 1980s. And Samantha was considering another school when she came to Fordham for a Spring Preview tour after she had been admitted to the University.

“My mom really wanted me to come to Fordham, and I was very resistant, just being difficult,” Samantha McCarthy said. But she made her decision during the tour. “I was like, ‘OK, I have to tell you something. … I want you to have no reaction, I don’t want you to freak out, but I think I’m going to come here.’ And she was like, ‘Oh my God!’ freaking out.”

Gail McCarthy said that she had talked with Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, while taking the tour that day. “He said, ‘What do you think so far?’ And I said, ‘You know I love it so much, but my daughter is trying to make her decision,’” McCarthy said with a laugh. “And he goes, ‘What’s to decide? She’s coming here.’ But she wasn’t! She was on the other side of the field. I’m like, ‘Well, I’m trying to be really low key about it, Father. Don’t say anything.’”

Samantha and Molly said they’re glad they decided to carry on the family tradition, which includes their paternal grandfather, F. John McCarthy, FCRH ’47, LAW ’57.

“You just don’t realize how long the University has been around till you have access to a lot of history like we do, and it’s just fun,” said Samantha McCarthy, a flier relations associate with Blade Urban Air Mobility. “It adds a real layer of legacy tradition, a real sense of community.”

Molly McCarthy, who earned a degree in political science with a minor in journalism, said she’s thinking about applying to graduate school at Fordham.

“I would love to maybe come back to do a master’s or something to get some more time at Fordham,” she said. “Just because it was so short but so sweet.”

And Gail McCarthy is already thinking about the next generation.

“It’s a great place,” she said, before adding with a smile: “Maybe some grandchildren, now that my girls are done.”

“Wealth encompasses a caring workplace, quality products and services, and care for the environment,” said Stroz, a cybersecurity expert and former FBI agent who was awarded an honorary doctorate at the ceremony.

These days, he said, “it’s not just a ‘buy low, sell high’ world. Investors, customers, regulators, and employees are seeking businesses that function with purpose to serve a broader community while using a sustainable model.”

Stroz spoke at the Rose Hill campus on a sunny, mild afternoon before approximately 275 graduates who were seated on Edwards Parade in socially distanced chairs, an arrangement made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic that prompted the University’s pivot to virtual and hybrid education over the past year.

On the day of the ceremony, graduates seemed to shrug off the trials of the past year, savoring the moment as they were cheered on by family and friends (each graduate was allowed two guests).

In all, the Gabelli School celebrated 973 master’s and doctor-level graduates on May 25, with many opting for the virtual diploma ceremony that was videocast that morning. It featured an address by Fran Horowitz, a 1990 MBA graduate of the Gabelli School, who spoke about the lessons learned on her way to reaching her current position as CEO of the apparel company Abercrombie & Fitch.

Building the Right Culture

The importance of the Gabelli School’s culture and values was a common theme among speakers. In her own remarks, Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School, recounted the graduates’ many achievements, such as completing consulting projects; providing advice to major firms like Fidelity Investments or to nongovernmental organizations; and developing original research in auditing, capital markets, and other fields.

“But no matter which courses you chose … you all experienced and contributed to something in common, and that is the Gabelli School culture,” said Rapaccioli, a 1983 graduate of the school. “It values business with purpose. It values teamwork and lifting one another up, recognizing that we can achieve much more together than we can alone. It values questioning our outlook on the entire world. It values academic and professional excellence, and the strong belief that there is always a better way.”

“I challenge you to remember the role that you need to play in creating this kind of culture for others,” she said.

Delivering the invocation, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, noted that none other than Pope Francis has said that business is a noble vocation, “provided that those engaged in it see themselves challenged by a greater meaning in life.”

“In the course of their time in our midst, these, the members of Gabelli’s Class of 2021, have come to believe that they … are called to be the kind of prophetic business leaders that the world always needs, but especially needs at this inflection moment in human history,” Father McShane said.

Jesuit Values in Action

In his remarks, Stroz—a Fordham trustee fellow—told his own story of pivoting from a career with the FBI to being an entrepreneur. Most new businesses fail, and “many people did not expect someone with my background to be able to run a successful business,” he said.

The firm he co-founded was Stroz Friedberg LLC, focused on cybersecurity and digital forensics. It did not fail; rather, it grew, and by the time it was sold to Aon PLC in 2016, it employed 500 people in 14 offices worldwide. Its “secret sauce” was the subject of a case study at Harvard Business School, where Stroz lectured about the firm.

What did his Fordham education have to do with this success? “Almost everything,” Stroz said.

“I took the Jesuit values to heart about care for the individual and aim to treat everyone with respect,” he said. “When I was growing my firm … I was able to identify and attract some of the best people. To this day, the aspect of my firm that I am most proud of is the quality of the people who elected to work for us and why they stayed.”

He mentioned the book My Billion Dollar Education: Inside the Mind of a Rogue Trader, published in 2014 by Toshihide Iguchi, whom Stroz arrested for fraud during his days at the FBI. The book contains this dedication: “To Edward M. Stroz. Without his compassion for humanity and dedication to fairness, I would not be here to write this book,” Stroz said.

“When I arrested [him], I wanted to ensure that he was treated justly and would respect how the American justice system worked so that he would tell us the truth about what he did,” Stroz said.

On Taking Risks

In her address during the virtual diploma ceremony, Horowitz urged the graduates to “challenge yourself and take risks,” giving the example of her own move to become president of Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hollister brand.

“My biggest risk, moving to Hollister when many said I could not revive the brand, yielded the biggest reward,” she said.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime “because of the chance to reinvent a global iconic brand,” she said. She became CEO of Abercrombie after three years in that role. “I firmly believe that the financial and leadership skills that I learned at Gabelli and everything I went through during all [my]career moves … got me to where I am today,” she said.

She noted that there were many who discouraged her from pursuing an MBA. “But I stuck to my guns and trusted my gut, and took what many thought to be a big risk, and I have never looked back.”

She spoke about attitudes and practices she learned along the way to becoming CEO at Abercrombie. Among them: push boundaries, stay curious, do more than is expected. These were especially important when store closures because of the pandemic presented the “unacceptable” prospect of Abercrombie losing 70% of its revenue, she said.

“We quickly pivoted and found new ways to cater to our customers and drive business forward, accomplishing in one year what we thought would have taken five,” she said. “We could have succumbed to the crisis and done the minimum to keep ourselves afloat. Instead, we used it as an opportunity to work stronger, smarter, and faster than ever before.

“Now it’s your turn to build on your experience and to get even stronger, smarter, and faster,” she said.

Her last piece of advice? “Stay balanced.”

Balance “makes us well rounded and better critical thinkers,” she said. “Even when it seems impossible, find time to step away from your desk to make meaningful memories with your friends and loved ones.”

A Unique Student Experience

One of the two student speakers, Anosh Ravikumar Iyer, an MBA graduate and president of the Student Advisory Council, joked that “it’s a pleasant change to address more than 20 people without a screen between us.”

“Our grad school experience wasn’t anything like what we imagined,” he said. “We had to treat Zoom like the best friend we never had. We made the phrase ‘Can you hear me now?’ part of our daily vocabulary,” he said.

“The struggle has been real, but the willpower and determination you have showcased through it all is second to none,” he said. “To our loved ones, your unwavering support is what we needed, and to our faculty, your guidance and mentorship is why we succeeded.”

The other student speaker, Omolola Kufile, who earned an M.S. in marketing intelligence, said it had been an “amazing” experience despite the challenges.

“I can remember walking through the doors of Lincoln Center for the first time, nervous and uncertain [about]what my experience will be, especially as an international student,” she said. “The warm welcome [and]smiling faces from faculty, administrators, and students quickly turned my anxiety to excitement, as I was immediately welcomed as a part of the Fordham family.

“At Gabelli, we learned the true meaning of service to others, which was built into every action, thought, and interaction,” she said. “Every day was a new opportunity to experience the spirit of Gabelli [and]see your fellow students selflessly supporting each other.”

One of those students, Joseph A. Micale, became the first graduate of the Gabelli School’s Ph.D. program. He was drawn to the program because of its rigor, among other things, and appreciated faculty members’ openness to its students’ input about additional things they wanted to study, such as machine learning and data science.

Moving on feels bittersweet, said Micale, who served as an adjunct faculty member at the Gabelli School and will be an assistant professor of accounting at the New Jersey Institute of Technology this fall.

“There’s just so many people who helped with everything,” he said. As the first graduate of the Ph.D. program, he added, “I’m just very happy … to be the first person to say ‘thank you’ to all of them. I could not have done any of this without them.”

Watch a video of the in-person diploma ceremony below and on YouTube:

Watch a video of the virtual diploma ceremony below and on YouTube:

For Mariela Breton, FCRH ’21, graduation day was more than just the culmination of her accomplishments at Fordham. 

“I’m first-generation so it means a lot to me,” she said. “I’m looking forward to getting a better job, financially supporting my family.”

Breton, a psychology and Spanish studies double major, said that her favorite class was multicultural psychology, which examines psychology through cultural and sociohistorical perspectives.

Camaraderie, teamwork, and friendship were the things that helped graduating Fordham College of Rose Hill students Charlie White, Nick Ulto, Tom Hurst, and Joey Randazzo get through the last 14 months. The men, who were all a part of Fordham’s rugby team, said that it was good to know they had support. 

“It was pretty challenging, but we all have each other,” White said. “We all rallied around each other as a group of guys playing a sport, so we really all had each other’s back.”

White said that this was a theme for the team, even before the pandemic.

“We would always go out on the weekend and try to plan social events and we were just trying to include everyone; that’s the best part about [rugby],” he said.

During his first year on campus, James Langan, FCRH ’21, started an intramural soccer team.

“A couple of kids in my dorm, kids in my classes, kids I met in the cafeteria—it was a good way to connect those first few weeks,” he said.

Some of those friendships and connections from that team lasted all four years, including one with Saige Mitchell, also FCRH ’21.

For Mitchell and Langan, reuniting on the Rose Hill campus for their diploma ceremony was the first time they had seen each other and their friends in person in over a year.

“I’m really grateful that we’re able to be here, said Mitchell, who’d been taking all of her classes virtually.  

Both said that their classes at Fordham helped prepare them for the future.

Mitchell, who will be starting medical school at Duke University, said that her biochemistry class had the most impact.

“I’m a biology major and I took it through the chemistry department. I met a really great mentor, and I’ve been doing research with her for about a year and a half,” she said.

For Langan, who is applying to graduate school, his upper-level numerical analysis class encouraged him to study math in depth.

“It was fascinating to learn what was out there beyond the normal level of math that I’ve learned my whole life,” he said.

Being back on the Keating steps reminded Lucianne Magnibas, FCRH ’21, of her favorite Fordham memory: the annual candle-lighting ceremony for first-year students.

“As an orientation leader, I got to experience that over and over again and it’s always really touching,” she said. 

Magnibas, a commuter student who majored in international political economy, said that she was grateful to be back on campus after the last year. 

“These past couple of weeks, being on campus and then of course graduating on Keating brings me back to why I love it here so much,” she said. 

Her father, Edwin Maginbas said he was so proud of all his daughter has done so far. 

“She’s accomplished a great deal here,” he said. “We’re so happy with the University and the school. She has a great school spirit and participates even as a commuter she’s very involved. We’re just ecstatic, very proud parents.”   

Jade Kennedy Chrichlow, FCRH ’21, was an African and African American Studies major and peace and justice minor. She’ll be starting Fordham Law in the fall. 

“My intro to Peace and Justice class with Professor Garnet Kindervater was really amazing. I used that class for my personal essays for law school, and it really just transformed how I thought about peace and justice because what’s justice for one person may not be justice for another person,” said Chrichlow, who was a transfer student to Fordham.  “I find that even in my thesis I cited things from that class. I constantly see myself going back to that class and telling everyone about it.”  

Alyssa Grimando, GABELLI ’21, came from East Northport, New York, to pursue a global business degree on the Lincoln Center campus, with a minor in sustainable business. She’ll soon be starting a job with Bank of America. Her favorite Fordham memory is studying abroad at Fordham London. Graduating in person was a special day for her, she said. 

“It’s been a long time coming, and a lot of hard work, and I’m glad we’re being recognized for it.”

Tyler Raciti, FCRH ’21, said graduation is “a special moment” for him. When I came to Fordham, it was in the backdrop of my father passing away. Being here, I feel like he’s with me.”

Raciti was instrumental in organizing Fordham’s Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ students.

“I’m so happy that Fordham was really embracing diversity and inclusion,” he said, citing that ceremony and other Diversity Graduation Celebrations.

He was also the founding editor of the Fordham Undergraduate Law Review. “Great minds,” he said of his fellow students. “I’m going to miss them.”

Shaniqua Orr, GSS ’21, said she had to push herself to finish her Master’s in Social Work, and that it’s because of her faith that she did. “I was raised in foster care, but I maintained my relationship with my mom and dad, who both passed away this past year,” said Orr, who served as student speaker at the Graduate School of Social Service’s virtual ceremony. “I feel like I can identify with my patients because I’m able to tap into their feelings. Social work is not for the faint of heart. It’s all about delivery: What you say and how you say it. Like my mom used to say, ‘You can get more bees with honey than vinegar.’ But it’s mostly about being transparent and leaving your opinions outside the door.”

Ray Mitchell, GSAS ’21, was no stranger to Fordham when he set foot on the Rose Hill campus in 2017. The Edmonton, Canada, native spent a month at the University in 2016 when he earned an international diploma in humanitarian assistance from Fordham’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs.

He was so impressed, he signed on to earn a master of arts in international humanitarian action, which is jointly offered with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. On Saturday, Mitchell, who currently works for a company contracted by NATO to supervise the removal of landmines in Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Ukraine, and Kosovo, was one 136 students to receive their diplomas at a virtual ceremony following the University’s main commencement.

He said he was humbled to work with IIHA faculty such as humanitarian programs director Larry Hollingsworth, and senior fellow Anthony Land. He wrote his master’s thesis about private medical support for humanitarian missions and said he’ll apply the lessons he learned to his current work.

“The way that I do operational planning and the way that I do strategic management has forever changed because of this program. I’ll focus on sustainability and localization at the national level from the very start of mission planning,” he said.

— Reporting by Kelly Kultys, Adam Kaufman, Sierra McCleary-Harris, and Patrick Verel

He noted that St. Ignatius, like many of the PCS veterans present, served in the military before he began his university education in his 30s. He was a nontraditional college student and went back to school, Father McShane said, because he thought that it would help him have a better understanding of the word of God.

“You went back to school so you could have a fuller life. A fuller life for him. A fuller life for you. So, on behalf of the Jesuit community at Fordham, I congratulate you and I thank you for reminding us of our connection and yours to our founder,” he said.

Of the nearly 160 PCS graduates, 60 processed on Eddies Parade with more joining in for a virtual ceremony at home.

Anthony Davidson, Ph.D., dean of PCS, said that that the graduates all faced daily challenges that ranged from financial to familial to medical, yet all had excelled and met the challenge of finishing their degrees. He acknowledged those in the class that had excelled beyond their dreams, moving on to several of the nation’s top master’s programs. And he encouraged graduates to build on the success of their peers.

“Every moment counts and time is marching on, so be constant, be dependable, be punctual, don’t waste time, give warmth to people and be their shining light, be passionate, and above all continue to live in the spirit of cura personalis that has so much been a part of your and our spirits here at Fordham,” Davidson said.

The ceremony’s student speaker, Kelly Jean Clair, arrived early. In heels for the first time in more than a year, Clair said should she take a tumble she made sure to be wearing the school colors beneath her graduation gown. She said she was rather nervous to take to the podium, despite her training as a stage actress, a profession she still works alongside temping. But in her speech, she said she recalled being far more nervous on her first day of class at Fordham.

“I was thinking, ‘Am I going to be the old lady in class?’ Will one of my classmates say, ‘You really remind me of my mom?’ Or would I be able to keep up? Would I really be able to contribute?” she said. “But none of that happened, as a matter of fact, it was quite the opposite. I was treated like a peer. It felt like family.”

In addition, she made it through the core curriculum.

“I don’t know about you guys, but as an English major, I was terrified of math. I mean I hadn’t taken math since I graduated high school back in nineteen eighty… ah, a little while ago,” she said.

Clair would go not only go on to complete her math courses, but she excelled in them, accumulating grades that would allow her to graduate summa cum laude. She plans to continue acting and is thinking of getting her master’s degree. Concluding her remarks, she explained how she and her classmates made it through.

“You know what? We worked our butts off! Now, I Kelly Jean Clair, stand before you as a proud graduate of Fordham University. And in the immortal words of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, ‘We did it!’”

On a hot May afternoon, about 160 candidates walked in person, with their families and loved ones cheering from Edwards Parade. Following the graduates’ procession, Jane Bolgatz, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of curriculum and teaching at GSE, introduced Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, for an invocation, and GSE Interim Dean Akane Zusho, Ph.D., who addressed the graduates. Present in the crowd were Virginia Roach, Ed.D., former dean of GSE, and José Luis Alvarado, Ph.D., who will lead the school as dean beginning July 1.

“How we emerge from challenges helps to define who we are as human beings,” Zusho told the crowd, citing not only the COVID-19 pandemic but ongoing conversations around racial justice and education reform. “We need teachers, leaders, counselors, and psychologists who share in the fundamental belief that we can all learn and grow, and who can help their students, teachers, and clients live up to their fullest potential.

“Every student deserves to learn in an environment that encourages them to take risks, ask big questions, and make mistakes. Every student also deserves to know they are in a safe space where there is always a path to redemption through education, free of judgement. And that path begins with you.”

Students graduating across GSE’s degree and certificate programs echoed Zusho’s call for the need to change the world through education.

Brandon LaBella, who received a master’s degree in childhood education and is currently teaching fourth grade at Hillcrest Elementary School in Peekskill, New York, said that the M.S.T. program “made me feel so much more confident as a teacher. It’s incredible to be here surrounded by so many brilliant people, and I think everyone here is going to help make the world a better place.”

Speaking about what it’s been like to teach throughout the pandemic, LaBella added, “It’s been incredible to see the resilience of the students and all the teachers. It just gives me hope for the future that if we can take care of this, we can do anything.”

Darlyn Smith received her master’s in childhood special education through GSE’s online program and is currently teaching first grade at the Pingry School in Short Hills, New Jersey.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, since I was very young,” said Smith. “It’s a great feeling to be here and get to see all the friends that I had online and get to interact and celebrate this wonderful occasion.”

Others reflected on the personal journeys of their years in graduate school. Teddy Reeves received his administration and supervision Ph.D. in GSE’s church and non-public school leadership program, and he said that the research process, while challenging at times, was an essential complement to his work as the curator and co-lead of religion at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

“It has been an amazing, difficult season of writing and researching and finding self,” Reeves reflected. “It’s labor intensive, but it’s a labor of love. It’s been great to mirror the work that I do professionally with the work I got to do at Fordham.”

Magalie Exavier-Alexis, who completed her Ed.D. in educational leadership, administration, and policy while working as a school principal in Brooklyn’s District 13, also noted the challenges of balancing classwork and research with full-time work and a family, but she had no doubt that it was worth the effort.

“I’ve always known that my goal is to cross this finish line,” she said of receiving her doctorate. “I am elated! There are no words to describe my elation and my jubilation.” ­

Many graduates opted to attend GSE’s virtual ceremony, held on Monday, May 24. View the ceremony below and on YouTube.

The ring originally belonged to Eileen Clifford, O.P., a two-time Fordham graduate, longtime educator, and former vice chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York. After Sister Clifford, UGE ’69, GRE ’74, died in August 2020 at the age of 82, the director of mission advancement for the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill reached out to Fordham Trustee James P. Flaherty, FCRH ’69, to see if he could help find a home for the Catholic nun’s cherished ring.

Flaherty immediately thought of his friend Michael Mooney, whose daughter would be graduating from Fordham this year.

“I was so surprised,” Caroline Mooney said, showing off the ring after the diploma ceremony. “It’s a beautiful gift, especially today—commencement is so special. This is something I can treasure for the rest of my life. It’s a statement of Fordham. I wish I knew her; I wish I got a chance to meet her. But I’m very grateful.”

A Bronx native, Clifford entered the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill in 1955 and professed her final vows in 1962. She received a bachelor’s degree at St. Thomas Aquinas College before earning two master’s degrees from Fordham, including one in educational administration and supervision. She taught at several Catholic schools across New York before serving for 14 years as principal of Monsignor Scanlan High School in the Bronx. She became associate vicar for education for the Archdiocese of New York in 1993, and in 2002 was appointed vice chancellor, a position she held until her retirement last year.

Michael Mooney said that because the ring and Fordham meant so much to Sister Clifford, he gladly accepted it from the Dominican Sisters last fall. He made a donation to the order in her memory around Easter and decided to give the ring to his daughter at Rose Hill—although he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to do that.

“I put it in my safe and said to my wife, ‘Look, because of COVID, we don’t even know if they’re going to have any kind of in-person graduation ceremony, but maybe we’ll do it on campus,” he said.

When Fordham announced in April that guests would be allowed to attend some in-person diploma ceremonies, in keeping with New York state guidelines, Mooney knew that he could put his plan into action.

“Today was nice,” he said of the May 19 ceremony, which was limited to 1,000 attendees. “When they made the alumni [in the audience]stand up [to be recognized], that was awesome. And this was more intimate—something different that COVID brought.”

Caroline Mooney said that she was grateful to her professors and Fordham staff members for helping students get through the challenges of the past year, particularly at the Fordham London campus, where she was studying in March 2020.

“The New York campuses went home before us, and then we had to go home and resume things over virtual learning,” she said. “But the professors all came together so quickly and did a great job. It was as difficult for them as it was for us. I’m just very appreciative of everyone here.”

Graduating from Fordham is “bittersweet,” said Caroline, who earned a degree in communications with a minor in marketing. But she’s excited about her next stop: working as an account coordinator for Coyne PR in Parsippany, New Jersey.

And she plans to keep Sister Clifford’s old ring close, although she might decide to wear it on a necklace.

“She had such dainty fingers!” Caroline said with a smile.

At that videocast ceremony, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, officially conferred nearly 5,500 degrees upon graduates from nine Fordham schools. He acknowledged that it was not the commencement anyone had expected for them. Fordham’s traditional celebration on Edwards Parade was replaced by smaller diploma ceremonies and online broadcasts, with some graduates celebrating only virtually. It was one of many aspects of college life curtailed by the global pandemic “at a time when the whole world has been haunted by fear and overshadowed by loss.”

But, Father McShane said, Commencement was a day to celebrate. While some might have given in to despair, he said, the Class of 2021 persevered.

“You never surrendered,” he said. “Rather, you rose to every challenge that the world threw at you. You gave yourselves to a more than usually intense search for answers and for meaning.”

Small Acts of Courage Matter

In her keynote address broadcast during Saturday’s ceremony, retired Navy Admiral Michelle Howard, the first woman to become a four-star admiral, harkened back to Martin Luther King Jr.’s observation that the ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of convenience and comfort, but where they stand in moments of challenge and controversy.

She cited the experience that Lieutenant Commander Wesley Brown, the first African American to graduate from her alma mater, Annapolis, relayed to her in conversations.

When Brown enrolled in the mid-1940s, segregation isolated him in every capacity—in the classroom, the cafeteria, and in his room. His classmates actively tried to sabotage his progress. Keeping one’s quarters spotless was of utmost importance in the naval academy, so when he returned to find them trashed, he braced for the worst when the white officer arrived for inspection.

“This officer is just looking around, and there’s silence. Finally, he says, ‘Midshipman Brown, I suspect this room did not look like this this morning.’ And Wesley Brown said, ‘No sir.’ So, the officer said, ‘Carry on,’ and he left,” she said.

That officer’s actions inspired Brown to continue his studies, she said, and showed that even small acts of courage can make a difference in other’s lives.

“Whether in times of comfort or convenience, times of challenge and controversy, you know you have it within you. You can do these small acts of courage,” she said.

A Week Like No Other

While many of the themes of the 176th Commencement felt familiar, events also reflected the fact that the pandemic is beginning to ease, but not entirely over. Pairs of seats dotted Edwards Parade in socially distanced configurations. Masks were required at Rose Hill on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday the mandate was lifted for outdoor use in accordance with evolving state health guidelines.

The victory bell that marks the beginning of a University-wide ceremony that in normal times draws thousands to the Rose Hill Campus was put into service several times for smaller diploma ceremonies. More than 1,500 seniors from Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, and the Gabelli School of Business arrived with two guests for ceremonies that ran from May 17 to May 20.

A Moment of Shared Victory

In his speech during the main videocast on Saturday, Father McShane acknowledged the unusual times, and shouted out to the parents and families for their role in a day of “shared victory, shared triumph, and shared accomplishment.”

He noted that the class of 2021 is finishing its studies in spite of living through a year that featured a global pandemic, an economic downturn, a reckoning with racism, a bruising presidential election campaign, and an assault on the U.S. Capitol and the democratic principles upon which our nation has been built and sustained.

“The toll that these cascading plagues has taken on all of us, and on you in a special way, has been enormous,” he said.

“With ease and grace, you became one another’s keepers, and in the process, you became ministers of cura personalis to one another,” he said.

A Return to Campus Brings Flood of Emotions

The return to the Rose Hill campus brought forth a range of feelings, some bittersweet.

After a fall of remote learning from her parent’s house in Rochester, New York, Beatriz Barraclough-Tan, an anthropology major at Fordham College at Rose Hill, was grateful to return to campus in January, where she was able to share on-campus housing with her friend, Grace Mulligan Tuck, who she was walking with on Monday.

She was also thankful that she was able to continue to sing with the Scola Cantorum choir. When the pandemic hit, they recorded themselves singing alone for an online project, but eventually, they were allowed to sing in the University Church, behind plexiglass, in limited numbers.

“At the Baccalaureate Mass, we had nine seniors who were able to sing,” she said. “I almost cried yesterday when we were coming out.”

Nearby, Marla Louissaint, a Founder’s Scholar who earned a degree in computer science from Fordham College at Rose Hill, was sporting a custom-made mask with “Claim Our Space Now” and “BLM” on it; the former being the name of a nonprofit she started in May that aims to dismantle white supremacy and save Black lives.

Having come to the United States from Haiti as an undocumented immigrant—she became a U.S. citizen when she was 6—Louissaint said she felt proud, but also felt the weight of her ancestors who were denied education.

She credited her father for pushing her to finish her degree even as she pursued opportunities such as a role in the Broadway show Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which she toured with in 2018.

“He was like, ‘Yes, you’re an artist, but we came to the States to give you this life. Please finish your degree no matter what.’ It took six years, but we’re here today!” she said.

A Celebration for Parents

On Tuesday, Lori and Tim Considine were soaking in the atmosphere on Edwards Parade and reflecting on the past four years. To make it to a 9 a.m. diploma ceremony, the Highland, New York residents caught a 5:15 a.m. train from Poughkeepsie. They were there for their son Samuel, who was graduating from the Gabelli School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

“We were just looking at pictures of when we dropped him off, and I am just so proud of him. This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time,” Lori said.

Both Samuel and his sister Celeste, a junior at SUNY Plattsburgh, opted for remote learning for this year, and to mark the occasion of his return to campus, Samuel wore a pair of hiking shoes that he’d purchased the day that Fordham suspended in-person instruction in March 2020.

For Anthony Quartell, FCRH ’64, Wednesday was the best day of his life, because his daughter, Olivia was also graduating from Fordham College at Rose Hill.

“I dreamed of this. We have five children,” he said, and finally one was graduating from his alma mater. “It’s a day I wasn’t sure I was going to get to have.”

Olivia, a double major in political science and communications and culture, said Fordham has had a special place in her heart since her first trip to campus.

“Getting to come here after hearing about it from him—he grew up around here—made that very special for me,” she said.

Savoring One Last Swing Through Campus

The person inside the Ramses mascot isn’t often known, but on Thursday, Sophia Zehler decided to reveal her identity, with a cap decorated with a photo of her and the mascot head, and a line that reads “It was me.”

When she transferred to Fordham her sophomore year, Zehler heard about an opening for the mascot position and decided to give it a shot. Her favorite Fordham memory was appearing as The Ram on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that year.

“It’s exciting to be here. It’s not how I wanted it to end, but I’m happy I got a lot of experiences like this,” she said.

For Nel Patel, a Rockaway, New Jersey, native who majored in applied accounting and finance at the Gabelli School of Business, just being on Edwards Parade on a warm spring day on Wednesday was reliving his fondest memory.

“After four years, I can say this place is probably one of my favorite places in the world,” he said.

“I’m glad I could share this moment with my classmates and friends. It will definitely be special to reminisce about this down the line.”

The Celebration Continues

Virtual diploma ceremonies for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, and the School of Professional and Continuing Studies were held immediately after the ceremony. The School of Professional and Continuing Studies will also confer diplomas in a ceremony at the Rose Hill campus on Sunday, May 23.

The Graduate School of Education will hold an in-person diploma ceremony on Sunday, May 23, and will hold a virtual ceremony on Monday, May 24.

The School of Law will confer diplomas in a virtual ceremony on Sunday, May 23, that will feature an address by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. An in-person ceremony will be held at the Rose Hill campus on Monday, May 24.

The Gabelli School of Business will confer diplomas to its masters and Ph.D. students in a virtual ceremony on the morning of Tuesday, May 25, followed by an in-person ceremony in the afternoon at the Rose Hill campus. The Graduate School of Social Service will confer diplomas in a virtual ceremony on Tuesday, May 25.

In addition, the University will hold in-person ceremonies for members of the Class of 2020 the weekend of June 5.

Additional reporting by Adam Kaufman and Kelly Kultys

View a video of the Mass here.

But there were signs of a world in flux. Undergraduates were invited to these smaller Rose Hill ceremonies to accept their diplomas in person before the main Commencement, which will be videocast on Saturday, May 22. Commemorative masks were handed out—making it easy to meet the mask requirement in effect on campus through Tuesday; on Wednesday the mandate was lifted in outdoor settings in accordance with state guidelines. Students processed directly across the Keating Terrace to their seats, while pairs of socially distanced chairs dotted Edwards Parade.

The sense of joy and relief was palpable, nonetheless. Many students were returning to campus for the first time after over a year of remote learning, and for parents, the experience was doubly emotional, having watched their children not only finish their college career, but having done it in the midst of unprecedented upheaval.

At the first ceremony for Fordham College at Rose Hill on Monday, Dean Maura Mast, Ph.D., set the tone. “Today is special for many reasons,” she said. “Definitely because you’re graduating, but also because you’re coming home.”

For more information on Commencement events, visit the Commencement webpage.

As of May 18, Fordham undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni have received 62 prestigious awards this year, including three Fulbrights, a Critical Language Scholarship, 10 Excellence in Broadcasting awards, three Gates Millennium Scholarships, a Ford predoctoral fellowship, a Marshall award winner, three National Science Foundation fellowships, a Soros fellowship winner, a prestigious DAAD Long-Term Research Grant, and an internship in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In addition to the winners, two scholars were named as finalists for prestigious awards, including a Coro fellowship finalist, and 21 were named as semi-finalists.

“Despite the many challenges that the global pandemic presented, the Campion Institute saw a record number of applicants who persevered through a rigorous application process and learned a lot about themselves, their values, and the contribution they hope to make to the world,” said Anna Beskin, Ph.D., interim director of the Office of Prestigious Fellowships. “We couldn’t be prouder of all of our applicants!”

Alejandra Garcia, FCLC ’21, who majored in visual arts and English, won a U.S. Fulbright Student Arts Program award to France. Garcia, who grew up in San Diego, near the U.S. border with Mexico, said a lot of her painting and drawing has focused on migration and immigration, something she hopes to explore more in France.

“I’m pretty interested in the different or similar attitudes towards migration—I’m from a border city—and I think I have a very particular view of my own experiences with xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments and things of that sort. And I am very curious to learn about how that is handled in France and in Europe,” she said. “I really want to work with immigrant communities there rather than just learn about it from an outsider perspective. I want to be integrated and hear from those actual voices.”

Garcia said she’ll be working on her immigration studies with the Paris College of Art, and, hopefully, the National Museum of History of Immigration. She’ll also be working with the Paris College of Art on their “Drawing is Free” program, which invites the public in to use their resources and create art.

“That was something that I was really attracted to, because something that I really believe in is expanding artistic accessibility to other people,” she said.

Garcia said her goal is to pursue U.S. artist-in-residence opportunities after her Fulbright and pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in a few years.

Matias Ayala, PCS ’21, won a U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship. Ayala, who came to Fordham after serving in the Marine Corps, said his time in the military made him interested in cybersecurity and information technology.

“I started hearing a lot about cybersecurity, mainly in our deployment briefings. We heard a lot about how to remain secure and make sure that we’re not exposing ourselves from a cyber standpoint,” said Ayala, who is graduating with his bachelor’s degree in information technology and systems.

Ayala said that Fordham’s program is a good fit for veterans.

“They’ve been targeting veterans because of our experience—we have a certain mindset that’s very good within cybersecurity, being able to analyze it and act on intelligence,” he said, adding that Fordham’s location was also ideal for him. “I have family here in New York City, so I figured that was a good transition—I could move in with family while I got my feet back under me.”

The fellowship, which Ayala will complete while pursuing a master’s in information technology at Fordham, will expose him to different areas of the State Department and allow him to gain experience through two summer internships. After the fellowship ends, Ayala said he would be offered a five-year contract to continue working at the State Department.

Ayala credits Fordham’s Veterans Center and his internship with the University’s Information Security Office for helping him earn this fellowship.

“Fordham gives us the tools to make sure that our veterans that are transitioning from the military to the civilian sector are able to get a good job and be successful,” he said.

When Alison Rini, FCRH ’21, was in high school, she participated in a two-month high school exchange program in Spain, staying with a family about 30 minutes outside of Madrid. That experience made her fall in love with Spain, so when she was applying for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship, she applied for one there. Her bid was successful, and the English and Italian Studies major said she’s excited for the opportunity to teach students about American culture and immerse herself in the Spanish capital’s “Global Classrooms” program.

“In Madrid, there is the Global Classrooms program, which is essentially Model United Nations. I do Model U.N. at Fordham, I did it in high school. And so I was really excited about the possibility of teaching Model U.N. to a ninth-grade class,” she said, adding that she would help them compete with other students and get the chance to travel to New York.

Rini, who served as a researcher in Fordham’s Bronx African-American History Project, Bronx Italian-American History Initiative, and Bronx COVID-19 Oral History Project, said that she’s going to use this opportunity to explore teaching as a career and reconnect with her classmates from her high school exchange program. A former intern in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rini is also considering a career in the federal government.

Seana Epley, GSAS ’21, won the Critical Language Scholarship in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021 to study and learn Swahili, initially in Tanzania, but now virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Epley, who is getting her master’s in humanitarian studies after earning an undergraduate degree in disaster response and emergency management from the University of North Texas, said she always had a desire to work on the African continent, which is what inspired her to pursue Swahili.

The program will run virtually over the summer for eight weeks and Epley said she plans to try to immerse herself in the language as much as possible to help her apply to nonprofits who are working on disaster response in the region.

“I felt like I could be of more use if I had a language that was applicable,” she said.

Epley said that while the phrase “build back better” has become cliche, she does want to do work that helps communities be stronger after a disaster.

“If you’re going into a community that’s been impacted by a disaster, you don’t want to build to the exact same standards, … because that’s just asking for more damage next time,” she said. “The ultimate goal of most humanitarians is to not be needed someday…I’d like to work with an organization that supplements those [community]specific skills and doesn’t just come in and take over.”

As of May 18, prestigious awards received this year include:

• Gates Millennium Scholars: Adiza Awwal, GSAS ’25; Mary Bookman, FCLC ’24; Arely Garcia, GSE ’25
• Marshall Award: Kayla Matteucci, FCLC ’18
• Ford Predoctoral Fellowship: Obianujunwa Anakwenze, GSAS ’24
• Soros Fellowship: Nikolas Oktaba, FCLC ’15
• Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship from the Hudson River Foundation: Royall McMahon Ward, FCLC ’22
• DAAD Long-Term Research Grant: Kathryn Bresee, GSAS ’23
• Awards for Excellence in Broadcasting: Anthony Alaimo, FCRH ’23, and Rebecca Gutierrez, FCRH ’22, in the Professional Category for Outstanding Podcast; Emmanuel Berbari, FCRH ’21, for Outstanding Podcast; Dominic Capone, FCRH ’20 and Devin Clementi, GABELLI ’20, in the College Radio Division for Outstanding Sports Coverage; Carmen Collins, GSAS ’20, Nicholas DeLuca, FCRH ’22, in the College Radio Division for Outstanding Podcast; Evan Jaenichen, FCRH ’20, in College TV Division for Outstanding Series or Documentary; Charles Maisano, FCRH ’20, in the College Radio Division for Outstanding Sports Coverage; Eliot Schiaparelli, FCRH ’21, in College Radio Division for Outstanding Newscast
• Alliance for Women in Media Foundation 2021 Gracie Award: Carmen Collins, GSAS ’20, Nora Thomas, FCRH ’21
• New York Press Club Award: Brianna Leverty, FCRH ’20
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program: Daniel Alonso, GSAS ’30, April Rich, FCRH ’19; Micah Savin, GSAS ’28
• United States Department of Treasury Summer 2021 Internship in Washington D.C.: John Brower, GSAS ’25
• Civil Rights Fellow at the National Education Association: Laura Petty, LAW ’21
• Public Service Fellow to the U.S, Mission to the United Nations: Adam Brasher, GSAS ’25
• Panda Cares Scholars: Baghdad Numi, FCRH ’23; Annie Qiu, GABELLI ’24

“I didn’t think I was even going to go to college, because I thought I couldn’t afford it,” said Gurreri. “And I never thought I could graduate from a place like Fordham University.”

Gurreri noted that she didn’t come from an affluent background. Like so many of her high school friends, she said, limited exposure to higher education limited her aspirations. Her mother came from a rural part of Puerto Rico and her father was from a rural part of the Dominican Republic. Neither had the opportunity to go to college. When her older brother and sister graduated from high school, they went straight to work.

Gurreri credits a series of mentors with exposing her to options. The first was Martha Graham, an executive at Chase Manhattan Bank who mentored teens at Roosevelt High School.

“I told her, ‘I don’t think I can go’ and she said, ‘Absolutely not, of course, you can,” recalled Gurreri.

‘Zero In and Focus’

With Graham’s encouragement, Gurreri got accepted to Marymount, where she experienced a bit of culture shock. Compared to the Bronx, she said, the Tarrytown campus might as well have been California. There, a nun named Sister Fahey issued a stern charge to “zero in and focus,” a habit Gurreri kept to this day. She worked a part-time job in retail that became full-time after graduating. But in quick order, she got her real estate license; married the love of her life, Jimmy Gurreri; moved to Yonkers; and had the first of her three daughters.

Learning the Complexities of New York Real Estate

Her ongoing education continued with a paralegal certificate, which helped her land a job with real estate lawyer Ira S. Goldenberg. After her father passed away, Gurreri asked her mother to move in with her to help raise the girls and to help the family deal with his passing. Goldenberg soon took on the role of mentor and as a father figure in her life.

“She was without a doubt the best paralegal I’ve ever had,” said Goldenberg, who chairs the Real Property Law Section of the New York Bar Association and teaches real estate law as an adjunct at Brooklyn Law School. “She made me a better lawyer.”

At Goldenberg & Selker, LLP, Gurreri zeroed in on the transactional aspects of real estate, recalled Goldenberg.

“At the beginning, she was a jack of all trades, but at some point, she didn’t want to do the litigation, she wanted to do the transactions and she really perfected it,” he said.

For 10 years the office was a perfect fit for Gurreri, but Goldenberg noted that she was beginning to grow beyond her role.

“New York real estate is complex,” he said. “I think she began to see that she understood that complexity—and some can be dismissive of that. But she was not that way. I knew she needed to move on to a bigger firm, but I was devastated when she left.”

Gurreri said she shed more than a few tears on leaving.

“It was a difficult decision for me to have that conversation with Ira because I could have stayed there for the rest of my life,” she said. “But he told me, ‘I’m very proud of you; you’re always pushing yourself further.’”

Using New Knowledge on the Job

Today, Gurreri is with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP, an international full-service law firm with a dedicated focus on real estate and construction. To grow in her career, she knew she’d once again needed to return to Fordham, this time at the Real Estate Institute, where she decided to concentrate on finance and development. Goldenberg happily wrote her a letter of recommendation.

Much of what she learned in the classroom deepened her understanding of her day job, she said. It also exposed her to ethical dimensions of the industry, such as eco-friendly development.

“If you build you want to make sure that you’re building something that has a good impact, not only on where it’s situated in the neighborhood, but in the natural environment,” she said.

With her master’s complete, Gurreri said she’s already being pulled onto projects at work that she’s familiar with because of her coursework.

“Fortuitously, it just so happens I just got put on a project that involves a giant wind energy and solar power acquisition,” she said.

She said the material is familiar now, but it wasn’t always.

“Since 2002, I worked toward things I wasn’t sure about. I’d say, ‘I don’t know if this is going to work.’ But you know what, you never know in life until you try,” she said.