Students close one chapter, begin another

Thousands of students graduated this month and last, donning caps and gowns or starched shirts and new dresses before sauntering, skipping or solemnly walking through rows of parents, teachers and friends.

The graduates ranged from college-bound seniors and adults who were adding one more degree to their portfolio, to kindergarteners and middle schoolers. But all of the students were closing one chapter in their lives and beginning another.

Colleges said goodbye to their grads first. At the College of Mount Saint Vincent, the rainy spring weather stopped long enough on May 21 for students to gather under a large, white tent on the school’s back lawn overlooking the Hudson River. Dr. Charles Gallo, one of the pioneers who first helped identify and treat HIV, spoke to cheers so enthusiastic he held up his hands and said, “I’m not a rockstar.”

“Now is the time for celebration and fun for you … tomorrow is the time for reflection. Think about the woman or man you want to become,” he said. 

At Manhattan College’s 169th commencement, students graduated in the dimly lit Draddy Gymnasium, the floor covered in sparkling black carpeting. Undergraduate students walked on May 22 and the Adult Degree Completion Program ceremony took place on May 21. 

George Tamaro, a civil engineer who helped plan the new World Trade Center, spoke at the adult commencement, along with valedictorian Tricia Dimino-Pao. 

“I urge you to be proactive, don’t let life pass you by,” Ms. Dimino-Pao said in her speech.

For the first time, Manhattan College used “green” tickets, made out of thick cardboard, which will be reused next year. 

The hilltop private schools graduated next. At Horace Mann’s senior ceremony, Elliot Spitzer showed up to celebrate his daughter, who is headed to Harvard University this fall.