May 20, 2026<\/p>\n
Commencement signifies the closing of one chapter while simultaneously beginning another.<\/p>\n
St. John\u2019s University held its 156th annual\u00a0Undergraduate-Level Commencement Exercise<\/a>\u00a0on May 17 on a flawless, warm, summer-like day on the\u00a0Great Lawn<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Queens<\/a>, NY, campus.<\/p>\n Graduates were reminded by speakers and their peers that a new world eagerly awaited the unique gifts and talents that were cultivated in them by an institution that embodies Catholic and Vincentian<\/a> values. More than 2,100 undergraduate degrees were conferred at the jubilant ceremony.<\/p>\n During his welcoming remarks,\u00a0Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.<\/a>, President of St. John\u2019s, told graduates, \u201cThe deepest desire of the human heart is to find purpose, to find meaning, to have a life project, and to matter.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cThe first big \u2018mattering project\u2019 of your life is complete\u2014you\u2019ve graduated from St. John\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n Fr. Shanley stressed to students that as they begin this next phase of \u201cmattering,\u201d the ultimate goal is to lead a life well lived. \u201cSurely a career is part of it, but it\u2019s not all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n He hoped that the projects graduates choose to find meaning and purpose match the unique gifts and talents gifted to them by God. \u201cThere is no one way to have a life that matters. It is a project that will occupy the rest of your life. You never stop seeking how to find meaning and to matter.\u201d<\/p>\n Commencement speaker Most Reverend Richard G. Henning, S.T.D., D.D. \u201986SJC, \u201988M.A.<\/a>, Archbishop of Boston, MA,\u00a0the 10th Bishop and seventh Archbishop of Boston, and a double alumnus of the University, credited the Vincentian community with strengthening his faith and call to the priesthood.<\/p>\n A scholar of sacred Scripture, Archbishop Henning explained that the Word of God defined his life\u2019s work as a priest and bishop, \u201cand I would like to bring that lens to bear here and now at this moment in your lives.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cI see an assembly of men and women endowed with tremendous gifts and opportunities given to them from above. I see determination and perseverance. So many of you have endured and overcome trials and setbacks to be sitting where you are today. No doubt, many of you have also experienced wonders and seemingly chance interventions at the eleventh hour that kept you moving forward through the rigors of your studies and the many complications that life can throw at you.\u201d<\/p>\n Archbishop Henning called graduates a \u201cpriestly people,\u201d noting the similarities between his episcopal vestments and their caps and gowns. \u201cThey are cut from the same cloth, as it were. Commencement exercises hearken back to the first universities erected by the Church to explore what we can know in the double light of reason and revelation.\u201d<\/p>\n He explained that the first university students were primarily clerics, who had taken up the sacred charge of sharing the splendor of truth. \u201cWhat you are wearing today is much like their daily uniform. They were to bring light where there is darkness. They were to give themselves away in service and sacrifice. So are you.\u201d<\/p>\n Graduates are not meant to live an ordinary life, Archbishop Henning stressed, adding that they will be tested and experience hardship. \u201cSometimes the scariest thing in the world is to know that we are not meant to live an ordinary life with all the security that ordinariness supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n Becoming the person you were made to be involves \u201cpassing through fire and dark clouds,\u201d Archbishop Henning observed. \u201cThere is no safe route to that destination. No one arrives unscathed,\u201d and the temptation will present itself to seek out something easier.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t settle for it. Look higher. Go deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than impart the traditional sentiments graduates expect to hear, Archbishop Henning said, \u201cI wish for you to find that purpose, meaning, and joy that\u2019s not found in career and possessions, but in the struggle of the human story\u2014in the heartbreak, in the depths, and in the light of the God who loves us to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n Archbishop Henning also received an honorary Doctor of Sacred Theology degree during the ceremony.<\/p>\n During the ceremony, four additional honorary degrees were also conferred upon the following individuals:<\/p>\n Valerie Ackerman, Commissioner,\u00a0BIG EAST Conference<\/a><\/p>\n Sr. Joanne Callahan, O.S.U. \u201972ED, \u201989M.S.Ed.,\u00a0Ursuline Sisters Province Office<\/a><\/p>\n Mario J. Gabelli, C.F.A., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,\u00a0GAMCO Investors, Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n James J. Shannon \u201987CBA, Chief Executive Officer,\u00a0Indus Capital Partners, LLC<\/a>, and Chair-Elect,\u00a0Board of Trustees<\/a>, St. John\u2019s University.<\/p>\n On May 15, the University conferred graduate degrees to students in four of its Schools and Colleges:\u00a0St. John\u2019s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences<\/a>,\u00a0The Peter J. Tobin College of Business<\/a>,\u00a0The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies<\/a>, and the\u00a0College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lucille T. Accetta, R.Ph., M.P.H., M.B.A. \u201986CPHS<\/a>, Senior Vice President, Chief Pharmacy Officer, and Head of CVS Specialty Operations, CVS Health, spoke at the morning ceremony, and underscored the true meaning of Commencement. \u201cIt is a moment of reflection and anticipation, a moment to pause and recognize everything it took to get here\u2014the discipline, the sacrifices, and the resilience. It is also a moment to look ahead\u2014to imagine the paths you will take, the opportunities you will pursue, and the impact you will have,\u201d she stressed. \u201cGraduates, you have earned this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Afternoon speaker Robert J. Adams \u201984CBA, \u201988M.B.A., Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Head of Operations & Services Group, Fidelity Investments<\/a>, and Member,\u00a0Board of Trustees<\/a>, St. John\u2019s University, spoke about the career disruption he experienced during the stock market crash of 1987 and how his time at St. John\u2019s enabled him to\u00a0 pass through it successfully. \u201cWhat sustained me wasn\u2019t my job title or the name on the building,\u201d he stressed. \u201cIt was what my parents and St. John\u2019s had already given me: a mindset rooted in lifelong learning, relationships, and responsibility to others.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cContinuing my M.B.A. classes at night during that period reinforced a lesson I carry to this day: learning is not insurance against disruption. It is preparation for it. A degree will help you open doors, but a willingness to keep learning will determine how long those doors remain open.\u201d<\/p>\n In moments of upheaval, r\u00e9sum\u00e9s matter, Mr. Adams noted, but relationships matter more. \u201cThat obligation to lift others as we climb mirrors St. John\u2019s Vincentian mission: to lead with compassion, serve the common good, and measure success not only by what we achieve, but by whom we serve. As part of that community, your education carries a moral weight not just to succeed, but to support, contribute, and mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n Student speaker Ashley Genao, a government and politics<\/a> major and member of the President\u2019s Society<\/a>, the University\u2019s highest undergraduate-level honor society, said, \u201cGrowth does not come from having everything figured out. It comes from showing up anyway, taking chances, learning from failure, and choosing to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n She added, \u201cIf the last four years have taught us anything, we are more capable than we think.\u201d<\/p>\n As graduates reflected on the past, they saw a bright future ahead. \u201cMy time at St. John\u2019s has meant so much to me,\u201d explained George Kontogianis \u201925TCB, who earned his M.B.A. in management<\/a>. \u201cWhat I\u2019ll remember most are the people and the strong sense of community. No matter what I was working through, there was always someone willing to offer support and encouragement. I am grateful for the friendships and experiences that made my time at St. John\u2019s so memorable.\u201d<\/p>\n Actuarial science<\/a> major Ademore Adesina was thoughtful. \u201cThis moment means everything to my family. I\u2019m the last of five children to graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree, so I think the sense of achievement my parents feel, along with the joy my siblings have for me on my special day, make this an unforgettable experience. St. John\u2019s was the catalyst for my success. I\u2019m grateful for all the professors, friends, and faculty who equipped me with all the skills to thrive postgraduation.\u201d<\/p>\n Olamide Onabanwo, a finance<\/a> major, recalled that transferring to St. John\u2019s brought an initial period of adjustment. \u201cMy first semester here was a shock,\u201d he said, but he soon found his rhythm. \u201cIt\u2019s been amazing.\u201d The experience soon became more meaningful when his two brothers joined him at the University, creating an enduring family legacy.<\/p>\n College was a period of transformation for Brianna Rivera, a communication arts<\/a> major, who described her St. John\u2019s years as a critical bridge between adolescence and adulthood. \u201cThese four years are the most pivotal years,\u201d she explained, describing them as a transition \u201cfrom being a kid to an adult, and really discovering yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n As an executive board member of the St. John\u2019s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America<\/a>, Brianna helped organize professional and social events, including a presentation on workplace attire and accessorizing. Working with what she described as a female-led organization allowed her to contribute to the campus community while also enjoying the friendships formed through that work.<\/p>\n Andrea Lin, a member of the first graduating cohort from the University\u2019s nursing<\/a> program, said, \u201cBeing a part of the first cohort was exhilarating and exciting, but also nerve-wracking at the same time. It was, honestly, a roller coaster of emotions. because it was a new program and you expected challenges and obstacles. Overall, the faculty and administration are amazing. I felt incredibly supported throughout all four years. I feel ready to make an impact and become a competent nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a lot of ups and downs,\u201d observed Zyane Nicholas, a marketing<\/a> major, \u201cbut I\u2019d definitely say the biggest thing that I\u2019ve learned is who I am and who I want to be.\u201d He added that attending St. John\u2019s Men\u2019s Basketball<\/a> games were among some of his most treasured memories.<\/p>\n For Stephen Robayo, a cyber security systems<\/a> major, St. John\u2019s became more than \u201cjust another four years of school.\u201d He explained that the University helped prepare him for the working world.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely given me a lot of insight as to how to operate and proceed with my life going forward,\u201d he said. He also found community through the eSports<\/a> group in the Technology Commons<\/a>, where students gathered around shared interests. Those connections, he noted, mattered beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n