“I looked to my roots in neuroscience. I thought surely there was a scientific way to being happier,” said Chiles, who majored in integrative neuroscience.

Three Tips for Happiness

But instead he found it in positive psychology, a field credited to psychologist Martin Seligman, Ph.D. Chiles cited three tips from Seligman and tied them back to his Fordham experiences and lessons.

“First, go out, find someone who needs help, and help them.That reminds me of the Jesuit tenet we all know—to be people for and with others,” Chiles said to fellow students in Rose Hill Gym.

“Second, he tells us to learn and cultivate optimism,” he said.

“Finally … he says anything you’d like doing, do it with someone else.”

A Roast from the Lady of the Manor

Chiles’ speech followed the Lady of the Manor address—a traditional humorous student’s reflection—from Samantha Sheridan, a political science and digital media major. Sheridan joked that her inspiration for the address came from a speech she heard from Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president emeritus of Fordham, who stepped down last June.

“It was move-in day and I was very nervous,” she said. “And Father McShane provided us with the answers to some questions. He said, ‘You may be wondering if you will make lifelong friends here at Fordham? Yes. You may be wondering if you will find your purpose here at Fordham? Yes. You may be wondering if your high school boyfriend still loves you? No!’ And he was right. On all three accounts.”

Sheridan joked that she and her classmates experienced something that not a lot of Fordham students got to experience: “genuine excitement about our basketball team.” And, she said, a new president.

Looking Backward to Look Forward

Fordham College at Rose Hill Dean Maura Mast encouraged graduates to participate in an Ignatian examination with four steps—presence, gratitude, review, and response.

“The response moves us from looking backward to looking forward,” she said. “My hope is that as you look backward over your time at Fordham, you go through these steps … and you begin to understand what you need to go forward.”

Celebrating the 2023 Graduates

The ceremony, which traces its roots to the ancient Greeks, recognized students inducted into top academic honor societies and those who won prestigious awards, fellowships, and scholarships.

Two awards are a surprise to the recipients. The Claver Award, given by the Jesuits of Fordham to a FCRH senior who exemplifies dedication to service, was given to Michela Fahy.

“We are struck by and so grateful for how much you did to foster recovery for our community, as we all sought that recovery in the wake of the pandemic,” Mast said about Fahy’s community work with the Center for Community Engaged Learning.

The Fordham College Alumni Association Award, awarded to a senior who “exemplifies the Fordham spirit,” was given to Arthur Ze An Liu.

“He’s known and respected as a mentor, a role model, a hard worker, a problem solver, a conflict mediator and what one person termed, an amazing friend,” Mast said. “[He] is someone really committed to promoting Asian American Pacific Islander culture, along with the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.”

“This time of celebration is special for me because it is a reminder of how incredible our students are, and makes clear to me that our best days will always be in front of us, with leaders such as these exemplary future Gabelli School of Business alumni, leading the way,” said Lerzan Aksoy, the school’s dean.

Emme Simning, one of three co-valedictorians for the Gabelli School at Rose Hill, said that the education she got at Fordham is what made them exemplary.

“What makes a Gabelli graduate stand out in this world? My answer to that question does not involve the technical skills or business knowledge that we acquire, but rather that at Gabelli, we are taught to care for the world we live in,” said Simning, a finance major with a concentration in global business and member of the Global Business Honors Program. “The ability to be a part of something greater than ourselves and care for others is what sets Gabelli students apart.”

The event recognized students who were in honors societies and the business school’s honors programs, as well as students who received departmental awards and leadership awards. It also honored two Fordham graduates, Lorem Basile, GABELLI ’18, and Daniela Basile, GABELLI ’20 as Alumnae of the Year and recognized multiple faculty and staff members.

The three capstone student awards of the evening were the Alumni Chair Award, presented to a senior who exhibits “exemplary Fordham spirit and pride,” given to Natalia Kimmelshue; the Mozilo Future Distinguished Alumni Award, presented to a senior who has personified Fordham’s mission by “making excellence the focus of their life,” given to Beerdavinder “Bobby” Singh; and the Gabelli School of Business Dean’s Award, which recognizes a student’s “remarkable commitment to the Fordham community,” given to Amanda Evans.

Recognizing Parents: ‘You Are the Reason’

Both Aksoy and Vanessa Marku, a co-valedictorian, recognized the sacrifice of parents and families to send their students to Gabelli.

“This moment is for my mom—you are the green light at the end of the dock, my symbol of hope, and my greatest friend; for my dad, my greatest inspiration … for my grandparents who sacrificed everything in coming to America as ethnically Albanian immigrants from Montenegro,” said Marku, a finance major. “You are the reason I will be pursuing a juris doctorate at Hofstra University.”

‘Unique Experiences,’ from Monaco to London

Richard Torres Jr., a co-valedictorian, said that he was grateful for all the support and opportunities the Gabelli School gave him.

“You’ve afforded me so many unique experiences that I couldn’t have been exposed to anywhere else, including a study trip to Monaco, business meetings with Eli Manning and Giants executives, and an entire semester abroad in London,” said Torres, a business administration major with concentrations in finance and consulting.

All three valedictorians said that they were honored to be a part of this class.

“Many of you here in the crowd tonight will be the next changemakers and business leaders of the world,” Torres said.

At the ceremony, the second of its kind since debuting last year, awards were given to honors students who’d completed a senior thesis, won prestigious fellowships, and been admitted to academic societies such as Phi Beta Kappa.

In her remarks, FCLC Dean Laura Aurrichio, Ph.D., noted that like them, she arrived in August 2019. And like them, it took her a while to get used to her new surroundings. By spring 2020, she felt truly ready to pull up her sleeves and get to work on long-term projects.

“Of course, the universe had other plans,” she said, noting that the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd made for stressful times. Nevertheless, students persevered.

“You might be too modest to celebrate yourselves, but I also know that you are all too kind, too supportive, and too community-focused not to celebrate your classmates.”

Awards were also given to students who excelled in disciplines ranging from the arts and sciences to the social sciences and the humanities–and student speakers from each field got up to speak.

‘Soul-shimmering’ clarity

Anna Nowalk, a theology/music double major who was admitted to the Phi Beta Kappa honors society, spoke about the humanities.

“Throughout my time at Fordham, I’ve brushed against potentially life-altering understandings of the Christian mission and have on occasion felt my soul shimmer as I saw with clarity for a moment how I might be called to it,” she said.

Fordham Theatre Student Honored with Alumni Chair

Amara McNeil, an acting major and a founder of the BIPOC Theatre Alliance of Fordham, was honored with the FCLC Alumni Chair Award. Aurrichio expressed personal gratitude to McNeil for joining the inaugural cohort of the FCLC Student Advisory Group.

“I really just cannot say enough about how grateful I am to her for all the work that she has done and for her work in leaving this place much better than she found it,” she said.

Trystan Edwards, a theater and African and African American studies double major, implored his fellow graduates in his keynote address to live in what he called “the gray” areas of life.

“I was ready to set my future ablaze with fiery reds and opulent oranges, and I was ready to seize every opportunity and take the city by storm,” he said of his move to Manhattan.

When the pandemic interrupted everything in 2020, the gray returned, and it was here that Edwards discovered resilience.

“As we accept our awards tonight and our diplomas tomorrow beautifully bedecked in our rosy reds, bright blues, gorgeous greens, and yappy yellows, remember to leave room for the gray,” he said.

“It is the land of all possibilities, truth, and humanity.”

The ceremony, which brought family and friends to the McNally Amphitheatre, featured awards for outstanding senior thesis; students admitted to honors societies; and the Dean’s Award, which was given to Hussein Chebli.

Chebli, a global finance and business economics major, was lauded by Vincent DeCola, S.J., assistant dean for the B.S. in Global Business, as “a quiet leader who leads by example, … hard work, and steady reliability, despite the challenges life can throw at you.”

The Global Citizen Award, which is given to an international student who has demonstrated a desire and ability to build bridges of acceptance and understanding in global business, was given to Jaeri Kim, who graduated with a concentration in global marketing with consumer insights. The faculty Cura Personalis award was presented to business law and ethics professors Mark Conrad, Ph.D., and Kenneth Davis, Ph.D.

Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D., who was appointed dean of the Gabelli School in December, told students she had no doubt that they’d succeed professionally after having brought their best selves to their classwork.

“Most importantly, remember to give your best selves to those who love and support you regardless of your failings, because it is those relationships that will sustain you throughout your life’s journey,” she said.

She also issued a word of caution for when students do face failure and doubts–particularly when others may be succeeding by acting unethically. “It will seem all the more difficult when you see others abandoning decency and honesty for personal gain and financial gain,” she said.

“During those times, it is important to remember that there is no gain worthy of losing your soul. The good news is that if you don’t quit and you keep pushing forward while staying true to your values, you will win.”

Grace Oakley, a global finance and business economics major who was honored in March by the website Poets&Quants as one of the best and brightest students of the class of 2023, and who was honored as one of 13 finance scholars, was chosen to speak on behalf of the class.

Oakley, who is currently working as an analyst for Blackstone Financial Group, reflected on how she was asked what her dream job might be during a first-year orientation event in 2019. Her answer bore little similarity to what she ended up doing, which wasn’t surprising, she said, as many students’ identities change over four years.

But one thing that has not changed since 2019 was the emphasis on caring for one another.

This is what it means to embrace the ethos of Cura Personalis, she said.

“As we reflect on the difficulties we share, whether as trivial as the struggle of squeezing just one more person into a Lowenstein elevator to make it to class on time, or as monumental as world events of the pandemic, we can also appreciate the immense growth achieved through struggle, and acknowledge the vital role that every individual in the class of 2023 mutually played in molding each other during this time.”