Mount Grads Celebrate Commencement With a Toast

NEWBURGH – With only a few hours left before graduation, the Mount Saint Mary College Class of 2018 gathered on the steps of the Dominican Center the afternoon of May 18 for a toast to their soon-to-be alma mater.

The next day, the Mount recognized 581 graduates at its 55th annual Commencement Ceremony. The college awarded 109 master’s degrees and 473 bachelor’s degrees. More than 190 students earned degrees in Nursing and related fields, and another 143 earned degrees in Business.

Christian Plaza of Newburgh, N.Y. earned two master’s degrees simultaneously: a Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Health Care Management.

The graduating students hailed from eight states: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas. One graduate, Julimar Figueroa, is from Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Dr. David A. Kennett, interim president of the college, reminded the students that this doesn’t have to be the last time they toast together with an exclamation of “Cheers!” The new grads are always welcome back to the place where everybody knows their name, he said.

“While your teachers will stop being your teachers, they’ll be your mentors, and nothing will please them more than your staying connected to this college,” he said. “You are not students anymore – through sweat, tears, and toil you have climbed that mountain – but remember, you will always be Knights, and you will always be welcome here.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email