Class of 2023

Overtime Victory

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 16 May 2023 19:40:50 +0000

Overtime Victory BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 05/16/2023 - 15:40

Student-athletes who missed commencement have special ceremony

May 17, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

As his classmates crossed the commencement stage at Gillette Stadium on Friday, graduating student Matt Josselyn, ’21, G’23, was triumphing on a different field.

Matt, a pitcher on the baseball team, picked up a key win in the Bears’ march to a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship and spot in the NCAA tournament.

Though Matt and several other student athletes were unable to participate in the traditional ceremony, ��Ƶ�� ensured they still received their moment in the spotlight.

“It’s pretty special to see that they respect us so much on campus to give us another ceremony,” said Matt, a transfer student who earned a Master of Business Administration degree. “This is a special place for me. I will gladly call it home for the rest of my life.”

Their recognition came Monday in Horace Mann Auditorium, the historic location for Bridgewater commencements. The university honored 10 graduating students on the baseball, softball, and track and field teams who competed in postseason contests that conflicted with commencement.

Elementary education and psychology major Alison McDonough, ’23, said the ceremony was emblematic of the support she received from BSU as an athlete and student.

“I’ve had some amazing coaches in my corner,” said Alison, who placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles at Saturday’s New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association Outdoor Track & Field Championships. “Our athletic department really does care about athletes and wants us to succeed.”

The ceremony featured much of the pomp their classmates experienced, including a speech from President Frederick W. Clark Jr., ’83, and the coveted opportunity to cross the stage and receive their diploma. The graduates also listened to a video message from someone who knows a lot about success on and off a baseball diamond: Red Sox legend David Ortiz.

Clark highlighted the competing demands students faced juggling academics, practices and games, family responsibilities, and jobs – all in a world marked by a pandemic that canceled sports seasons and disrupted education.

“Even in the midst of historic challenges, you kept moving forward, reaching higher with your heads held high,” Clark said.

Family, friends, and teammates filled the auditorium, creating an electric atmosphere for the graduates.

“I’ll always remember this ceremony with my teammates,” said sociology major Madison Dana, ’23, a softball catcher whose team reached the conference championship game. “It just creates a great ending.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

It’s pretty special to see that they respect us so much on campus to give us another ceremony. This is a special place for me. I will gladly call it home for the rest of my life.

Matt Josselyn, ’21, G’23

Tags

Commencement

Class of 2023

Athletics

Photos by Kendell French, '24

Ready for It!

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Sat, 13 May 2023 23:15:27 +0000

Ready for It! BBENSON@bridgew.edu Sat, 05/13/2023 - 19:15

Graduates celebrate where pop idol will perform

May 13, 2023

Heather Harris Michonski and Brian Benson, G'23

Music has long been a staple of Delainey Bostley’s life, but she never imagined in her wildest dreams singing to her classmates in the same stadium as one of her musical idols, Taylor Swift.

“It honestly means the world to me,” said Delainey, a history major returning to BSU to pursue a second degree in music. “I feel very proud to be representing Bridgewater. … This is the biggest music-related opportunity I’ve had in my life.”

That moment came as Delainey performed “America the Beautiful” from ��Ƶ��’s commencement stage at Gillette Stadium.

During two ceremonies on Saturday, approximately 1,700 graduates received bachelors’ degrees.

“In a few days, Taylor Swift will be here at Gillette,” said BSU President Frederick W. Clark Jr., ’83. “But while the fans in the stadium will be entertained from the stage at that concert, when our graduates cross this stage today, you will be transformed by what Nelson Mandela described as the ‘most powerful weapon to change the world’, an education.”

In line with BSU’s school motto, “Not to be Ministered Unto but to Minister,” honorary degree recipient Edward Lambert, G’84, spoke of the importance of service as graduates find as Swift would say, “a place in this world.”

“Service connects you to the community, it can take many forms...you can seek to create your service opportunities or let it find you. I do hope when the opportunity is there, you will choose to serve,” said Lambert, who was elected at age 21 to the Fall River School Committee and has gone on to serve as the city’s mayor and a state representative.

Also receiving an honorary degree was former Chair of the BSU Board of Trustees Eugene Durgin, who sat on the board for more than 30 years; and New Bedford theater teachers and directors Armand Marchand, ’66, G’70, and George Charbonneau, ’66, G’70.

Charbonneau told the class to “never die wondering,” adding: “It is best to attempt something and fail than to say, ‘I wonder what would have happened?’ The failure comes with great knowledge and, sometimes, the best successes you’ll have in your life.”

The crowd roared loudest when former Boston Red Sox star, David “Big Papi” Ortiz shared a recorded message on the jumbo screen, echoing the now-famous comments he made in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“��Ƶ��, this is your (expletive) commencement!”

Ortiz followed up his famous catch phrase, reminding students to take advantage of their opportunities. 

“Don’t ever lose your focus, don’t let anybody dictate your goals,” he said. “Congratulations and to all the students, every day is a great day to be a bear! God bless you all.”

Student speaker Paulina Aguilar Delgado, a criminal justice major and psychology minor, recounted how the class has been shaped by world events including the pandemic, mass shootings and terrorism. Yet this class is ready and willing to fight and advocate for equality, inclusion and justice.

“In a reality full of uncertainty, we have managed to do what once seemed impossible and what few are able to obtain – a college degree,” said Paulina, who moved from her native Mexico to Massachusetts just before starting at BSU.

Fellow student orator Roslyn Dobyna who majored in special education and sociology, acknowledged the unique circumstances on the journey to graduation. 

“Courageous is the route we all took the last few years. Courage is what kept everyone connected and dedicated to their education,” she said. “If we can get through that, we can make it through everything. Do what you can in the moment, even if it seems small.

“I will not let the fact I can’t do everything, keep me from doing what I can.” 

Carrie Provost, a criminal justice and English major with a minor in Indigenous studies, is ready to help those living on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is one of the most impoverished places in the U.S.

A BSU education "really helps me to be my best self to go and help my people when I go back,” Carrie, who grew up on Pine Ridge, said before processing onto the field.

Graduating at iconic Gillette Stadium was a thrill for Carrie and many other graduates. 

“I’ve never been to Gillette before,” Kevin Ross said with a smile. “Having this be my first time, and to get to walk across the stage on the field, it’s a great experience.”

Kevin had 15 of his family members, including his mother who flew in from Texas, cheering him on from the stands as he collected his degree in health sciences.

Elizabeth Cheesman, an elementary education major, added: “It’s a place for people to come together and celebrate things, and today we get to celebrate us.” 

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Do what you can in the moment, even if it seems small. I will not let the fact I can’t do everything, keep me from doing what I can.

Roslyn Dobyna, ’23

Tags

Commencement

Class of 2023

'A ton of support'

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Sat, 13 May 2023 00:01:34 +0000

'A ton of support' HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Fri, 05/12/2023 - 20:01

Graduates reflect on road to success

May 12, 2023

Heather Harris Michonski

Story Series

Commencement

Standing in a sunlit parking lot in the shadow of Gillette Stadium, with her mortarboard in hand, Ashley Silver, G’23, looked up at the giant structure with tears in her eyes.

“At times it was definitely a struggle, but I kept my eyes on the prize,” Silver said. “I’m feeling emotional, this has been a long time coming. It’s been an accumulation of blood, sweat and tears. I’m just really proud to be here.”

Silver was one of the 470 graduate students at ��Ƶ��’s 17^th Graduate Commencement Convocation held Friday at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium.

Now a double bear (she also earned her undergraduate degree from BSU in social work) Silver collected her master’s in social work during the May 12 ceremony.

Like many students in the audience, Silver worked full-time while pursuing her graduate degree and is also a parent. She said having support from BSU faculty and staff, and family and friends, was crucial in getting her to the commencement stage.

“Working full-time, taking care of my daughter, I was definitely busy. Thankfully I had support. I loved the faculty and had a wonderful cohort. I met a lot of good people,” Silver said.

Stay-at-home-mother-of-three, including a set of twins, Jill Bradshaw, G’23, said, having support as she pursued her master’s degree in counseling guided her to the finish line.

“I had a ton of support at home but also at school. I was pregnant during the program, but my professors were always available to help manage and move my schedule around,” she said.

Dr. Jean F. MacCormack, chairperson of the board of trustees, also spoke about the importance of support.

“You reach this milestone,” she said, “because of the support and help from many others. None of us achieve success on our own. There are very few ‘lone ranger’ leaders. Most things are achieved because of a village of people who believed in us and the possibility of something better.”

BSU President Frederick W. Clark Jr. said, he’s proud to see how the members of the class of 2023 overcame both profound and everyday challenges, including the pandemic, and has no doubt they will go out into the world and have a positive impact.

“Times dominated by hardships, give birth to the greatest generations of people. With all the adversity we’ve seen in a short time span, our newest graduates will be the next greatest generation. You are strong, you are determined...you, my friends, give us all hope for the future.”

Receiving an honorary degree at the event was renowned artist and sculptor Greg Wyatt, whose artwork is featured on the BSU campus in the Greg and Fay Wyatt Sculpture Garden, located on the eastern side of Maxwell Library.

Also receiving Distinguished Service Awards were Steven Karidoyanes, conductor and music director of the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra; and James Quinn and Lisa Troy, professors of theater and co-creators of Arts for Youth.

Student Speaker Oluwakemi “Kemi” Amodu, G’23, who earned a master’s in public administration, radiated positivity as she took to the stage and spoke to her fellow bears.

“Each of you have your own unique story,” she said. “Today let us celebrate our hard work and determination and express gratitude to all the people who supported us directly and indirectly.”

Amodu was met with cheers when she broke into song, singing lyrics from Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten.”

Many joined in and sang along, ultimately giving Amodu a standing ovation.

“Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten,” she said. “What a great day to be alive! What a great day to be a bear!”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

At times it was definitely a struggle, but I kept my eyes on the prize. I’m feeling emotional, this has been a long time coming. It’s been a cumulation of blood, sweat and tears. I’m just really proud to be here.

Ashley Silver, G'23

Tags

Class of 2023

Speaking to Community

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Mon, 08 May 2023 17:21:45 +0000

Speaking to Community BBENSON@bridgew.edu Mon, 05/08/2023 - 13:21

Commencement speaker shares how she found her place at BSU

May 9, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

Paulina Aguilar Delgado, ’23, moved from Mexico to Massachusetts just a few months before she enrolled at ��Ƶ��. Not knowing anyone and adjusting to life in a new country, she initially felt like a foreigner.

When she graduates this weekend, Paulina won’t be an outsider.

“Slowly but surely, I’ve made very good friends and found people willing to be my mentors and guide me,” she said. “Now, BSU feels very much like my community.”

Paulina will represent that community from the Gillette Stadium commencement stage on May 13. As the student speaker, she plans to discuss life’s uncertainties and encourage her humanities and social sciences classmates to be certain about who they are. It’s a message that mirrors Paulina’s journey as a Bear.

In finding a home at BSU, she embraced her Latin American heritage. And she shared it with her peers by helping run carnivals called Noche Loca as a leader of the campus club La Sociedad Latinx.

“It’s been very nice to see that I’m not alone on campus,” she said. “There are people who relate to my culture.”

A criminal justice major with a victimology concentration, Paulina studied the care homeless women receive in Arizona shelters through BSU’s undergraduate research program. She worked under the mentorship of Dr. Francisco Alatorre, an assistant professor who was also instrumental in helping Paulina prepare for her post-graduation plans as a law student at UMass Dartmouth.

“He has guided me through what research in criminal justice is,” said Paulina, who also minored in psychology. “He has put me in the right place where I’ve taken advantage of opportunities.”

Paulina praised the support of all her professors as well as Dr. Jenny Shanahan and Kacey O’Donnell of the Center for Transformative Learning. Under Shanahan’s and O’Donnell’s tutelage, Paulina became a mentor for other students conducting undergraduate research, allowing her to pay forward the benefits she received.

Paulina encourages future Bears to become involved on campus academically and socially to maximize their college experience. One day, they too could represent their class on Bridgewater’s biggest stage.

“When I came to BSU, I never dreamed of being the commencement speaker, let alone being the commencement speaker at Gillette Stadium,” she said. “For those who look like me and are in the same position I was feeling like a foreigner, just know it is very much possible.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

When I came to BSU, I never dreamed of being the commencement speaker, let alone being the commencement speaker at Gillette Stadium. For those who look like me and are in the same position I was feeling like a foreigner, just know it is very much possible.

Paulina Aguilar Delgado, ’23

Tags

Class of 2023

Commencement

Taking the Stage

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 03 May 2023 14:11:49 +0000

Taking the Stage BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 05/03/2023 - 10:11

Commencement speaker reflects on her education, student-teaching, and those who helped her

May 4, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

Roslyn Dobyna, ’23, began her BSU education taking online classes from her Westport home. She’s ending her undergraduate years student-teaching almost 3,000 miles away.

But Roslyn’s journey as a Bear is measured in much more than miles traveled.

“I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person and matured during my time at Bridgewater,” the special education and sociology major said. “I wasn’t alone. I had plenty of support, but I had to be the adult and say, ‘I can do this one step at a time.’”

It’s that message of perseverance that Roslyn hopes to share with her classmates as the commencement speaker at the May 13 ceremony for science, mathematics, business, education and health science graduates. No obstacle, she said, is too mighty if you put in the effort.

A transfer student who battled depression and anxiety, Roslyn didn’t take classes on campus until her junior year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeling like a freshman, she relied on the support of mentors and that unyielding belief in herself to make BSU her home.

She praised Dr. Meghan Murphy, ’06, for teaching sociology classes that felt more like family, something that was invaluable as Roslyn adjusted to in-person classes.

“I think it’s the most I’ve ever learned in such a short amount of time,” she said of her sociology courses. “I have a better understanding of the world and different people.”

That’s important for anyone working in special education, a field she embraced because of her desire to help students in need.

“Being a teacher is not just knowing content and how to deliver it, but understanding students and their backgrounds,” she said.

In the Department of Special Education, Roslyn appreciated the one-on-one guidance she received from Dr. Kerri Olore.

“She cares about not just me as a student, but me personally,” Roslyn said.

The department introduced her to serving students of varying economic backgrounds through student teaching positions in New Bedford and Quito, Ecuador. In Quito, she is working with third graders with ADHD, dyslexia, and social-emotional challenges. She is also immersing herself in the Ecuadorean culture by living with a local family and exploring the region, including the nearby Galapagos Islands.

Roslyn will fly home from Ecuador just a week before speaking to her classmates from the Gillette Stadium stage, an opportunity that is a lesson unto itself.

“It shows that anyone can do something if they put in the effort and try,” she said of being chosen to speak. “For me it shows that even though you bounce around, this is where you belong.”

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person and matured during my time at Bridgewater. I wasn’t alone. I had plenty of support, but I had to be the adult and say, ‘I can do this one step at a time.’

Roslyn Dobyna, ’23

Tags

Class of 2023

Commencement

Inspiring Journey

HHARRIS@bridgew.edu — Mon, 01 May 2023 13:14:46 +0000

Inspiring Journey HHARRIS@bridgew.edu Mon, 05/01/2023 - 09:14

Nigerian graduate to share her story at commencement

May 2, 2023

Heather Harris Michonski

Story Series

Commencement

Getting to the commencement stage is no easy task, especially for this year’s graduate student speaker Oluwakemi “Kemi” Amodu, G’23, who experienced a unique set of circumstances as she pursued her Master’s in Public Administration from ��Ƶ��.

Late at night, as most of her neighbors were comfortably sleeping in their own beds, Kemi would sit down in the dark, flip open her laptop and with only the light from the computer screen to work by, log on to join her class being taught some 5,000 miles away.

It was the fall of 2020 and because of the pandemic, many institutions, including BSU were forced to move classes online.

Instead of traveling and moving to campus, Kemi opted to stay in her native Nigeria. The time difference meant Kemi was signing on at 11p.m. in Lagos versus her classmates who joined class at 6 p.m. in Bridgewater.

“When daylight savings happened, it was even later and class time changed from 11p.m. to 12a.m.,” she said.

Local power outages made things even trickier.

“I’d be in class and the power would go out. I didn’t want to disturb my neighbors by going outside and turning on the generator, so I bought candles. Yes, I did classes by candlelight,” she laughed.

Eventually pandemic restrictions were lifted, and classes returned to in-person in 2021. That’s when Kemi was able to come to the United States. She moved in with family already settled in the Quincy area and commuted to campus.

“Virtual was fun, but I liked it much better being in-person,” she said. “It was nice to meet people that I had known for over a year.”

Kemi jokes that one of her peers thought, because she was always sitting in the dark with a limited light source during online classes, that she was participating from her car.

“I explained that no, I was home, just using candles,” Kemi chuckled.

Looking back now she can laugh but admits at times it was difficult to get up for school in the middle of the night.

“It wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it. But I love to challenge myself. One thing about me is, once I put my mind to it, I will do it,” she said.

Which is why she chose to pursue her master’s degree in another country. After earning her undergraduate degree in creative arts back in 2006 from the University of Lagos, Kemi was mandated to serve her country for one year in the National Youth Service Corp. Once she completed her obligation, she embarked on a career in banking and telecommunications.

“Then one day I decided, it’s time to pursue my master’s. I wanted a degree to advance my career,” Kemi said.

She had never heard of ��Ƶ�� before, but in her online search came across the school and liked what she saw.

“I thought, this looks good, and applied,” Kemi said.

What happened next surprised her. She not only heard from people in BSU admissions, but the department chair called her to learn more about what her expectations were.

“I felt that BSU didn’t just want my money but cared about my success. The customer service I received...the attention. That was it for me. It was a no brainer to choose BSU,” she said.

Since earning her MPA degree from Bridgewater, Kemi has received multiple job offers and is currently working in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development’s division of Apprentice Standards.

She is excited to share her story of perseverance at this year’s graduate commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 11, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

“I’m excited to speak. I know everyone has their own unique stories but I want to express my gratitude to those who have supported me and hope my journey inspires others,” she said.

Do you have a BSU story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu

I know everyone has their own unique stories but I want to express my gratitude to those who have supported me and hope my journey inspires others.

Oluwakemi “Kemi” Amodu, G’23

Tags

Class of 2023