A ceremony on May 17 honored the unique experience of student veterans as well as the character they’ve shown in pursuing their Fordham degrees—which they would earn the following day, at Fordham’s 179th Annual Commencement.
“Think back to when you first made the decision to continue your education. It likely wasn’t an easy choice,” said Robert Molina, PCS ’18, a onetime student veteran and 2023 Harvard Law graduate, at the annual Yellow Ribbon and Bell Ringing Ceremony.
“Many of you juggled the demands of work, family, and studies while navigating the transition to civilian life,” Molina said. “But you persevered. You showed up, day after day, to achieve this goal.”
“The discipline, leadership, and problem-solving skills you developed in the military have served you well,” he said.
At the ceremony, held every year at the Rose Hill campus, 29 graduating student veterans and military-connected students each received a Yellow Ribbon medallion and got a chance to ring the nearby Victory Bell in celebration of their achievement. The honorees included 2nd Lt. Miguel-Angel Sandoval, PCS ’24, a former Army enlisted man who had earned his gold bars at Fordham’s ROTC commissioning ceremony that very morning.
Fordham’s president, Tania Tetlow, and Armando Nuñez, chairman of the University Board of Trustees, also showed up to offer the graduates their congratulations.
‘Something About the Atmosphere Here’
In his remarks, Molina recounted an experience that is common to student vets: serving for years in the military—in his case, for three years in the U.S. Marine Corps—and initially feeling out of place among students in their late teens who had only recently been in high school. “Like St. Thomas Aquinas, we were all adult learners,” he said.
Soon, however, the required philosophy and theology courses piqued his interest in Christianity, and he eventually took advantage of the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults offered by Campus Ministry.
And he absorbed the ethos of Fordham in other ways. “Something about the atmosphere here—the reverence in the campus chapel, the community service rooted in Catholic social teaching—it all spoke to me in a way I couldn’t quite explain,” he said.
He said the student veterans, educated in Fordham’s Jesuit tradition, are prepared to address the current “division, mistrust, and self-interest [that]too often overshadow the common good.”
He remains active with the Student Veterans of America at Fordham and urged the student veterans to help others like themselves.
“Never forget the sacrifices you and your fellow service members have made,” he said, according to prepared remarks. “Use that experience to be a leader in your community, to advocate for causes important to you, and to inspire the next generation of veterans to pursue their education and dreams.”
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Photos by Taylor Ha
Thirty-three cadets officially began their military leadership careers on May 17 at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. At the 94th commissioning ceremony for Fordham’s Army and Navy ROTC program, speakers praised this year’s cadets for all they had accomplished so far while also describing what’s required of those who lead America’s soldiers and sailors.
For one thing, the guest speaker said, there are no days off.
“You are leaders 24/7, 365,” said Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Command, at the ceremony held at the University Church. “Lead by example. … You should hold yourself to a higher standard, because trust me, soldiers notice everything their leaders do.”
She conferred several other lessons gleaned from her 36-year career: Get to know your troops. Listen to noncommissioned officers; they’ll tell you what you need to hear. When you inevitably make a mistake, “get over it, fast,” and learn from it. Enjoy yourselves, as hard as it may be sometimes, and serve with passion and zest. Set high standards, communicate them clearly, and hold your service members accountable.
“At the end of the day, soldiers want to be part of a winning team, and they want a leader they trust and respect,” Barrett said.
Love-Driven Leadership
She then administered the oath of office to the cadets, who came from several New York-area universities including Fordham, which was to hold its University-wide commencement the next day. Most cadets were bound for the Army, the Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. One was commissioned in the Navy and one in the Marine Corps. One cadet, Miguel Angel-Sandoval, was an Army enlistee who would take part in a Yellow Ribbon ceremony honoring Fordham’s student veterans later that day.
Lt. Col. Paul Tanghe, Ph.D., professor of military science and the officer in charge of the Army ROTC program, noted the diversity of the cadets: they comprised 24 ethnicities and hailed from 11 states as well as countries as far away as South Korea and Senegal. And 40% were multilingual, speaking a total of 13 languages, Tanghe said in his remarks.
He lauded the cadets for demonstrating the love-driven leadership exhorted by two of their recent class dinner speakers, not to mention St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, and legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, FCRH ’37.
“Love-driven leadership is how great officers lead, it’s how the Jesuits educate, it’s why ROTC has the home and the partnership that we have here at Fordham,” Tanghe said.
Cadets received various awards and honors, including the President’s Saber, presented to Brian T. Inguanti, a member of Fordham College at Rose Hill’s Class of 2024 who was headed for the Army Corps of Engineers. The Rev. Joseph M. McShane Award for Excellence in Faculty Support to ROTC was presented to Matthew Butler, PCS ’17, senior director of military and veterans’ services at Fordham.
In her own address, Fordham’s president, Tania Tetlow, noted the essential role played by the cadets’ family members gathered in the University Church.
“You have raised, supported, challenged, inspired these extraordinary men and women graduating here today,” she said. “You have rooted them in service, you imbued them with courage, and so we are so grateful for you this morning.”
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At Fordham’s commencement on May 18, members of the Class of 2024 showcased their artistry–as well as some architectural flair–on commencement caps dressed up with messages of pride and gratitude.
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Our fates are united, Joseph Patrick Kennedy III told the Fordham Class of 2024, and peace is possible when we recognize that “our pathway forward is together.”
Speaking at Fordham’s 179th Commencement on May 18, the U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs recalled that region’s painful history—and eventual peace—to illustrate that even amid longstanding war and division, there is reason for hope.
“While we may come from different backgrounds and perspectives, the lesson Northern Ireland teaches is that our future is shared,” he said from Keating Terrace on the Rose Hill campus, just after receiving an honorary doctorate from the University.
“It is as true in Belfast as in Boston. It is true across our United States. It is true in Israel and Gaza, where terror and heartbreak, violence, and suffering must give way to a shared future. And it is true in every other corner and cranny of our planet.”
A Bostonian who told graduates he loves New York (even if he can’t quite get behind the Yankees), Kennedy is a grandson of the former New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He represented the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts for four terms before assuming his diplomatic role in 2022.
Northern Ireland’s journey from the strife known as the Troubles, which ended in 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement, is proof that change is possible, he told graduates.
“It’s not perfect. Like everything human, it is really messy and really hard. But 26 years later, the region is still at peace,” he said.
As the sun shone through clouds on the crowd of more than 20,000 people, Kennedy shared anecdotes about meeting people in Derry and Belfast who once were enemies but now are working together.
“There is a difference between being guided by the past and being held hostage by it,” he said.
“If we are bold and brave enough, we can learn to make space for each other, even when we disagree on really big things—if not for our benefit, then for those whose futures are yet to be written.”
He told graduates that the world they inherit needs them.
“It is a world that needs your vision and your grace. Your empathy and ambition. Your courage to choose to leave the world a little better than you found it,” he said.
“And please hurry. Your world awaits, and it needs your help.”
A Time to Celebrate
In her second Fordham commencement address, President Tania Tetlow acknowledged that this year’s ceremonies hold special resonance for many students whose high school graduations were disrupted by the COVID pandemic.
“Today is the day to glory in what you have achieved,” she said, noting that even the Empire State Building will be shining in the graduates’ honor tonight.
In graduating, students joined the ranks of millions of Jesuit-educated people around the world who can bond with each other simply by referencing the phrase cura personalis, or care for the whole person, she said.
“But this isn’t the kind of secret handshake that gets you insider entitlement. Instead, it’s an enormous responsibility that you carry with you forever,” she said.
“You came to Fordham with blazing talent, each of you blessed by abundant gifts from God. But—and this may be a rare thing to say at commencement—those gifts do not make you better than anyone else,” she said.
“What makes you special is how you use your gifts to matter to the world.”
The University officially conferred roughly 3,300 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at the ceremony. Including those who graduated in August 2023 and February 2024 and those who are expected to graduate in August 2024, the University will confer nearly 5,700 academic degrees in all.
In addition to Kennedy, Fordham conferred honorary doctorates upon two other notable figures: Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and a leading global activist against capital punishment, and the University’s former board chairman Robert D. Daleo.
—Photos by Chris Taggart, Bruce Gilbert, Hector Martinez, and Taylor Ha
Watch the full ceremony here.
“I’ve long felt that there needed to be a spiritual component when we’re working with clients,” said Gibbs, owner of a seniors-focused business who is graduating with a master’s degree in mental health counseling and spiritual integration. “In my individual work with clients … their spiritual life was very much a part of how they were raised.”
The program, offered at the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, provided a “fantastic” education in mental health and spirituality that Gibbs thinks will become more sought-after. “I think this field is only going to expand,” she said.
Church, a ‘Second Home’
A New York City native, Gibbs is a granddaughter of Southern sharecroppers who remembers the bigotry her family faced after settling in the Rosedale section of Queens decades ago. She recalled church as “a second home … where we found support.”
She graduated from Baruch College and earned an MBA from Baruch and a master’s in vocational rehabilitation counseling from NYU. Later in her career, about 12 years ago, it was through her church that she developed the idea for her company, Safe Circle Inc., which serves seniors and caregivers in the New York City area. She enrolled in her Fordham degree program after its spirituality aspect caught her eye during an internet search.
After graduating, she hopes to expand her company to help women of color dealing with multigenerational trauma and incorporate more spirituality into its services. In addition, she said, “I have a strong leaning towards bringing mental health to the forefront, particularly within the Black church.”
“I think that the church is a good place to begin having these educational forums about mental health and normalizing the discussion about [it],” she said.
Standing on Others’ Shoulders
Key to her professional growth at Fordham was an eight-month internship with the Faith Mission Alcohol Crisis Center in Queens, where she gained experience in integrating spirituality into daily care. She got “a full visual of what alcohol and drug addiction can do to the mind and body,” and worked with clients to help them see the impact of drug addiction in their lives and identify its triggers. “The change when they’re drug free is remarkable,” she said.
Like many of her classmates, Gibbs was pursuing the 20-hour-a-week internship while going to school full time—something that was made easier by supportive, understanding professors. Her path to the degree was also smoothed by her encouraging “church family” at Bethany Baptist Church in Jamaica, New York, as well as support from family members like her daughter and her mother.
“I would come in some evenings and she would’ve come by the house—‘I left a plate for you on your stove,’” Gibbs said.
She’ll be thinking of them all at commencement.
“When you walk across that stage, you are walking across on other people’s shoulders, really,” she said. “If you’re blessed to have that support, they’re graduating with you.”
Remember, on the evening of May 18, New York’s Empire State Building will be illuminated in Fordham maroon for our graduates.
]]>Whether you’re celebrating graduation in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Jersey, or cozied up at home, there’s a spot for everyone to see the Empire State Building light up for our grads!
Check out our top picks for viewing (and photo-snapping) spots:
Bryant Park, Manhattan
Midtown-bound post-graduation? Heading toward Grand Central? Swing by Bryant Park for a seriously epic view of the Empire State Building lit up maroon.
Madison Square Park, Manhattan
This park offers amazing city views, making it the perfect spot to snap those unforgettable graduation pics with the Empire State Building in the background!
34th Street and Herald Square, Manhattan
Get ready for one of the best close-up street views of the Empire State Building. Don’t miss the chance to snap a pic as you stroll by post-graduation celebrations!
Union Square, Manhattan
Heading downtown? The lively Union Square offers a fun spot to catch a view of the famous skyscraper!
Washington Street between Front and Water streets, Dumbo, Brooklyn
There really is nothing like this picturesque sight of the Empire State Building beautifully framed by the Manhattan Bridge. Head over for a unique grad picture with the iconic landmark.
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey
These stunning views don’t end in the boroughs! This Jersey park serves up breathtaking shots of the Empire State Building and the Manhattan skyline. You won’t want to miss it.
Won’t be nearby? Want to share this special celebration with loved ones who are far away? You can still catch the iconic building lit up in maroon on the Empire State Building’s live cam.
Don’t forget to share your pictures of this special tribute via email [email protected] and tag us @fordhamuniversity or use #Fordham2024 on social!
Learn more about Fordham’s 179th Commencement.
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Photos by Argenis Apolinario
Graduating seniors celebrated their heritage and culture at four diversity graduation ceremonies held from April 30 to May 6.
“I am so proud of what each and every one of you has achieved,” Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham, said in a video message to students.
“Take a moment to give yourself a hug and to revel in everything that you’ve achieved because it is an extraordinary thing, these years of hard work and determination and talent, and glorious love of learning.”
In total, more than 300 students were recognized at the Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American (APIDA); Black; Latine; and Lavender (LGBTQ+) graduation celebrations.
Held at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses, the celebrations were sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, Office of the President, and the 2024 Senior Week committees.
Remember, on the evening of May 18, New York’s Empire State Building will be illuminated in Fordham maroon for our graduates.
Below are the award winners for each graduation.
Lavender Graduation
George Takei Arts & Media Award – LC Recipient: Maura Johnston
George Takei Arts & Media Award – RH Recipient: Julia Patterson
Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera LGBTQ+ Activism Award – RH Recipient: Dorothy Bogen
Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera LGBTQ+ Activism Award – LC Recipient: Kenneth Tang
Audre Lorde LGBTQ+ Research Award – RH Recipients: Fareea Khan and Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan
Fr. Bryan N. Massingale Faculty/Staff LGBTQ+ Award – LC Recipient: Joe Corcoran
Fr. Bryan N. Massingale Faculty/Staff LGBTQ+ Award – RH Recipient: Juan Carlos Matos
Award of Excellence for Outstanding Contributions to the Office of Multicultural Affairs: Dorothy Bogen
Latine Graduation
Sonrisa Award – LC Recipient: Katelyn Figueroa
Sonrisa Award – RH Recipient: Alan Ventura
Estrella Award – LC Recipient: Ernesto Perez
Estrella Award – RH Recipient: Caitlin Asper
Pa’Lante Award – LC Recipient: Andy Cuzco
Pa’Lante Award – RH Recipient: Hector Cruz
Black Graduation
Black Leadership Award – RH Recipients: Tamia Chaney, Chelsea Usiomwanta, Alan Ventura
Black Leadership Award – LC Recipients: Katelyn Figueroa, Rebecca Richmond, Mary Bookman
Black Leadership Award in Athletics – RH Recipient: Skylar Harris
Black Leadership Award in the Fine Arts – LC Recipient: Kierstin Oliver
Black Leadership Award in the Fine Arts – RH Recipient: Zhane Coleman
Black Excellence in STEM Award – RH Recipients: Kennedy Jeter and Kiara Pile
Black Excellence in Business Award – RH Recipient: Janel Codjoe
APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American) Graduation
]]>Lotus Leadership Award – RH Recipients: Tarchithaa Chandra Sekharan and Elena Roden
Lotus Leadership Award – LC Recipient: Kenneth Tang
Most Likely to Sell Out a Lincoln Center Concert: Marie Isabelle Antendido
Most Likely to be on the Cover of Vogue, GQ, Elle, and/or Harper’s Bazaar: Meilin Renee Morefield
Most Likely to Start a Successful Youtube Channel: Julie Kae Trohan
Most Likely to Become Tik Tok Famous: Genesis Yi
Most Likely to Survive the Last of Us: Stacey Dana Zaragoza Cajita
Most Likely to Win Physical: 100: Alexander Joel Lang Hom
Most Likely to be the CEO/Director of their own Company: Yoshimi Pualani Eder
Award of Excellence for Outstanding Contributions to the Office of Multicultural Affairs: Kenneth Tang
“I thought I should get proper professional experience and a business school education,” Patel said, adding that he gained even more than he imagined when he began his M.B.A. experience. “I learned how to work as a member of a team, and I would have to participate and present in a class. This was very new to me. I was put into situations that I would not normally be exposed to, and [that]has boosted my confidence. I learned about everything in such a structured and precise manner, exactly how it should be.”
Patel earned his undergraduate degree in geology at the M.G. Science Institute at Gujarat University, a typical field that interested him and would prepare him to join the civil services in India. However, after working at Shree Umiya Developers, the company his father established, his vision for his future changed. Serving as general manager, Patel assisted in the completion of a luxury bungalow project and, when each of the 21 properties sold, he knew the experience was the first step toward his new career journey.
Patel notes a few M.B.A. courses that are particularly relevant to his next chapter. Strategic Branding not only focused on “how to build a brand, but how to differentiate it,” valuable skills he will use to grow the real estate development business. In Marketing with Cultural Intelligence, Patel discovered how different modes of marketing appeal to different cultures. This enlightenment came from learning specific practices that cater to Indian consumers and clients, which inspired him to reflect upon his own culture from a marketing perspective.
“When I would visit Indian grocery stores, I would just go as a consumer, and I would not think why this item is placed here, and how it is different from the American way,” he explained. “After this class, my understanding of marketing within my cultural context deepened.”
Patel took advantage of many opportunities to build his leadership skills as an M.B.A. student. As the president of the Student Advisory Council, he and his team worked to enhance the student experience and campus culture by coordinating events, balancing budgets, and serving as a liaison between students and the School’s administrators.
An accomplished equestrian who enjoys adventure sports and the outdoors, Patel looks forward to life in North Carolina and to his new role that will keep him connected to family and friends from India.
“I am lucky to have my own family business here,” he said, adding that while he is excited for the next chapter in his career, he will miss the home he found at the Gabelli School of Business. “For one and a half years, I’ve been used to the Gabelli School way of living, meeting people, studying, attending events, and everything else. I will miss that when I [leave]for North Carolina.”
– Written by Gabrielle Simonson for Fordham Business Magazine
Remember, on the evening of May 18, New York’s Empire State Building will be illuminated in Fordham maroon for our graduates.
]]>At first, Farrell was concerned about the new format, but when she began studying, her apprehension was quickly replaced with confidence.
“My biggest fear was that I was going to go in knowing absolutely nothing, and that could not have been further from the truth,” she said, adding that so far, “every single accounting class” she’s taken at the Gabelli School is reflective of the new exam content.
Farrell took the exam’s Financial Accounting and Reporting section in March, and has three more sections to go. In December 2023, she completed her bachelor’s degree in accounting information systems and is now working toward her master’s in professional accounting. She enrolled in the Gabelli School’s 4+1 program to complete both degrees in under five years.
Farrell also secured a position with a “Big Four” accounting firm—PricewaterhouseCoopers—which she’ll begin in January. This highly coveted opportunity was the result of a successful internship in the firm’s external assurance division.
“I’m excited because it’s such a great company, she explained. “They take a genuine interest in the interns and I formed so many connections in the time I was there. I’m thrilled to be doing meaningful work—helping ensure the integrity of financial statements that are going to get issued—and doing it at a firm where the values and people resonate with me.”
As a woman in accounting information systems, the job stability and integration of cutting-edge technology are part of what attracted Farrell to the field.
“I honestly don’t know why more women aren’t drawn to this field,” she said. “Women can be very organized, and I found that the characteristics of being organized and analytical aligned with both accounting and myself.”
While Farrell’s decision to apply to Fordham’s Gabelli School was an easy one—she grew up in nearby New Jersey and liked the idea of studying business in New York City—she wasn’t sure what career path to pursue. That changed after her first accounting class when she realized that she had a natural aptitude for accounting and technology.
As an undergraduate, Farrell served as the president of Beta Alpha Psi, the honor society for accounting, finance, and information systems, and was a member of Smart Woman Securities, where she placed first in a stock-pitch competition. She also was a teaching assistant in the Gabelli School’s Ground Floor course for first-year business students, a freshman advisor, and a member of Fordham’s women’s club soccer team throughout her undergraduate years.
Farrell is the fourth member of her family to find her place in accounting, following her father, James Farrell, GABELLI ’98, and mother, both CPAs, and her sister who also works in the field.
“Ever since I left high school, my parents said, ‘The world’s your oyster. Whatever you want to do, just do it,’” Farrell said. “They’re so supportive. They think there are no limits to what I can do.”
—Written by Gabrielle Simonson for Fordham Business Magazine
Remember, on the evening of May 18, New York’s Empire State Building will be illuminated in Fordham maroon for our graduates.
]]>This year, Fordham University will confer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees upon 3,304 May graduates in fields ranging from anthropology to social work to urban studies.
Including students who graduated in August 2023 and February 2024, and those who are expected to graduate in August 2024, the University will confer about 5,672 academic degrees in all.*
Below are the numbers of May 2024 degree recipients from each of Fordham’s schools.
Degree Recipients by School
Fordham College at Rose Hill: 675
Fordham College at Lincoln Center: 377
Gabelli School of Business (graduate): 286
Gabelli School of Business (undergraduate): 588
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: 143
Graduate School of Education: 229
Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education: 22
Graduate School of Social Service: 347
School of Law: 552
School of Professional and Continuing Studies (undergraduate): 65
School of Professional and Continuing Studies (graduate): 20
Remember, on the evening of May 18, New York’s Empire State Building will be illuminated in Fordham maroon for our graduates.
*Numbers as of May 6.
]]>Fordham University will award an honorary doctorate of humane letters to Sister Helen Prejean, a leading global activist against capital punishment, and to the University’s former board chairman, Robert D. Daleo, at its commencement ceremony at the Rose Hill campus on May 18.
The commencement speaker, Joseph P. Kennedy III, the U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland for economic affairs, will receive an honorary doctorate of laws.
Sister Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun with the Congregation of St. Joseph, is known around the globe for her writing and activism against capital punishment, which has influenced Catholic Church doctrine on executions. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she was living and working with the poor in nearby New Orleans when she witnessed two executions that inspired her to write a book exposing the realities of capital punishment.
‘Dead Man Walking’
That book, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, published in 1993, became a national bestseller and inspired an Academy Award-winning movie starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, as well as a play and an opera. It sparked a national debate about capital punishment.
Prejean began a speaking career that continues today, and she made contact with two popes—John Paul II and Francis—who later revised the Catholic catechism to include stronger language against capital punishment. At the time Dead Man Walking was published, capital punishment had widespread support in America, but today it has become much less common in the states where it is still allowed.
In 2023, Prejean spoke at Fordham University in advance of the opera based on Dead Man Walking opening at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Bob Daleo, a Leader During Pivotal Times at Fordham
Robert “Bob” Daleo, a 1972 graduate of the Gabelli School of Business, grew up in the Bronx and built his career in the news and publishing industry. After serving in financial and operational roles at McGraw Hill and Automatic Data Processing, he joined Thomson Newspapers in 1994 as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He went on to serve in a number of senior roles at its parent company, Thomson Corporation. Daleo retired as vice chair of Thomson Reuters in 2012, around the time he was becoming more active in giving back to Fordham.
After serving as a founding member of the President’s Council, he joined the Board of Trustees in 2008 and began his 11-year tenure as chairman in 2012. As board chairman, he played a key leadership role in several University initiatives: developing long-term strategy, managing the budgetary shocks stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, renewing Fordham’s efforts toward racial justice on campus, and selecting a new University president to follow Joseph M. McShane, S.J., now president emeritus.
He and his wife, Linda Daleo, have supported scholarships and many other priorities at Fordham, as well as other nonprofits, including Cristo Rey New York High School and the New Jersey Community Development Corporation. The Daleos were presented with the Fordham Founder’s Award in 2023.
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