News about Commencement 07
- UMass Dartmouth Commencement May 27
- UMass Dartmouth graduates more than 1,700
- 51-year-old UMD grad overcame personal hardships to achieve her dreams
- It's a family affair at UMass Dartmouth commencement
- Yesterday's commencements
- A time to shine
- UMASS-DARTMOUTH - Kerry to grads Fight injustice, change world
- Get involved, Kerry tells UMass-Dartmouth grads
- Brown, UMass Dartmouth graduations on the Web
51-year-old UMD grad overcame personal hardships to achieve her dreams
05/29/2007
SouthCoastToday.com
51-year-old UMD grad overcame personal hardships to achieve her dreams, and urges fellow boomers to seize the day
PETER PEREIRA/The Standard-Times Debra O'Melia, lost her husband, her business and her home, but the mother of two eventually went back to school and will graduate from UMass Dartmouth today.
PETER PEREIRA
By Brian J. Lowney
Standard Times correspondent May 27, 2007 6:00 AM
Debra O'Melia was working in a pizza parlor two years ago, the oldest of the employees, when it struck her.
"They were great people, but they were all guys in their 20s," she recalls. "I looked around and asked myself, 'What are you doing with your life? Where will you be in 10 years?' That was my epiphany."
UMass Dartmouth graduates for 2007 It's a family affair at UMass Dartmouth commencementKerry offers advice, humor at UMass Dartmouth commencementA day for pomp and circumstanceLaw school graduates urged to help protect personal libertyBridgewater State graduates urged to make a difference That moment led her straight to UMass Dartmouth, where today the 51-year-old Swansea resident - a widow and mother of two - will receive a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, graduating cum laude.
Like many nontraditional students who return to the classroom, Mrs. O'Melia had to surmount many obstacles and find the courage to make the big leap into academia, after not sitting in a classroom for almost 30 years.
Her journey, with its peaks and valleys, enriched her education, she says, and allowed her to share personal experiences that stimulated class discussions.
The resilient and cheerful Mrs. O'Melia recalls that she decided to get married shortly after graduating from Bristol Community College in 1976. She worked part time and helped her husband, Walter, with a small business.
The couple put off starting a family to enjoy travel and other luxuries. Eventually, they purchased a successful burial vault company and life was good.
They had a son, Sean, now 23, and a daughter, Katelyn, 21, who was born with special needs.
"I lost interest in pursuing my education," Mrs. O'Melia says. "That was one of my big mistakes. Home and family are wonderful. It's probably the most important job a woman can have, but women have to realize that they need something for themselves."
The family continued to thrive. Then, suddenly, the bottom fell out of Debra O'Melia's life.
In February 1995, she lost her mother. And five months later to the day, Walter, 44, died - both victims of sudden heart attacks.
"I was really numb," she remembers. "I didn't know what to do, but I knew that I couldn't sit around and feel sorry for myself. I had two small children and a business to run."
Eventually, she lost the business and her house, but Mrs. O'Melia doesn't look back at herself as an unfortunate widow. Rather, she took control of her life and decided to attain what she thought for many years was an unreachable goal.
To support her children, she cleaned houses and offices, delivered Chinese food and made grinders and pizzas.
It was at the pizza shop that she suddenly came to a decision about her life.
She drove over to the UMass Dartmouth campus in a rusty 17-year-old Toyota and walked into the admissions office, full of enthusiasm and eager to begin a new chapter in her life. She immediately enrolled in summer courses, and with the credits she earned at BCC, it's taken her exactly two years to finish her degree as a full-time student.
"I told the admissions staff that I wanted to go back to school," she recalls. "UMass Dartmouth was the most practical choice. It was nearby.
"It felt good to return. The faculty and staff have been so accommodating. I wish I'd done it sooner, but the point is that I did it."
She adds that the same old reliable car got her to class every day.
Life is short , Mrs. O'Melia advises her fellow baby boomers - don't wait to change careers, travel or complete your education.
"Don't worry about the money and the schedule," she says to people of all ages who want to return to school but have limited resources.
"You'll find a way to do it," Mrs. O'Melia continues, explaining that she got by on scholarships and student loans.
"My son did it, too," she says. Sean will graduate next week with a master's degree in computer engineering from UMass Lowell. "I give him a lot of credit. We had no money and he had no father, but he did it."
Mrs. O'Melia is looking forward to a bright career and future.
"We baby boomers are trailblazers," she proclaims. "We have vitality that people of our age didn't have generations ago."
In September, Mrs. Melia will pursue graduate studies in counseling psychology at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in Boston. She hopes to open a private practice where she can use her personal experiences and education to help others improve their lives.
"Maybe someday I'll get my doctorate," she concludes, adding that it's never too late to learn and to fulfill one's wildest dreams.
It's a family affair at UMass Dartmouth commencement
05/29/2007
SouthCoastToday.com
It's a family affair at UMass Dartmouth commencement
By JOSEPH R. LaPlante
Standard-Times staff writer
May 28, 2007 6:00 AM
DARTMOUTH - Some 6,000 people crowded into UMass Dartmouth's Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial Amphitheater on Sunday to attend a graduation, but a family reunion broke out.
Called for recognition from the speaker's lectern by Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack were all manner of alumni: some from the class of 1957, from the school's forebear institutions, two technical schools; the oldest graduate, at 77; and the members of the class of 2007 who are the first college graduates in their family.
UMass Dartmouth graduates And everyone was applauded on what was as perfect a day for tossing a tassel as any graduating class has ever seen. Temperatures in the 70s, refreshing zephyrs and a powder-blue sky with fat clouds arrived as cherished a gift as a new iPod.
"What a class," Ms. MacCormack said, reminding all 1,700 graduates receiving bachelors, master's degrees or doctorates "to show your gratitude to family, parents and friends who have shown you so much encouragement."
The graduates responded by applauding all of them in a show of thanks.
UMass President Jack Wilson and Trustee Vice Chairman Robert K. Sheridan offered congratulations and recognition for the hard work put in by those in black caps and gowns who sat in the amphitheater.
But only the graduates know the real story of their years in North Dartmouth and the importance of events in a world near and far to their formation, said class President Kristi Matsumoto.
"As a class we have shared many memories together some good and some bad. We have been at the forefront of a changing university watching it grow from a predominately commuter school to a residential school," she said. Seven years ago, 2,000 of 7,122 students lived on campus; this year, 4,000 of 8,880 live in dormitories.
"We have seen change first-hand in the world as students at UMass Dartmouth. We were the first class to ever participate in a Red Sox 'celebration,' and we have also been here to see our friends, family and fellow classmates go off to war.
"We have stayed together through the death of our fellow class members and witnessed first-hand the issues of prejudice and hate in our own backyard."
Even the unique, utilitarian, gray concrete construction that dominates the 700 acre campus found inclusion in the reunion.
"This university is like none other that I have ever come across," said Student Trustee Tamara Endich. "It's funny how you can find a cold concrete structure, that somewhat represents a Star Wars battle field, to be such an inviting and comforting environment."
Although UMass Dartmouth and its immediate predecessor Southeastern Massachusetts University are of relatively recent vintage, the university claimed Sunday's commencement as the 107th exercise. In the early 1960s, the Massachusetts state Legislature created Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute with the merging of two schools, New Bedford Institute of Technology and the Bradford Durfee Technical Institute.
Commencement speaker U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry stood out in a cardinal red gown in the procession of honorees that wound through the audience to and from the dais. At 6 feet, 4 inches tall, the gray-haired senator stood out in the crowd.
He received the Chancellor's Medal to honor his service to the region, state and nation.
Teresa Heinz Kerry, the senator's wife, received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree for her philanthropies. She is the chairwoman of The Howard Heinz Endowment and the Heinz Family Philanthropies, and has long been an advocate for human rights and economic, scientific and creative freedom, the school said.
The school also honored Edmund Barry Gaither, director and curator of the Museum of of the National Center of Afro-American Artists since 1969, with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
The Rev. Robert P. Lawrence, senior minister of the First Congregational Church in Fall River, received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his role as an inspirational fixture of the South Coast civic community for more than three decades, the school said.
Julie Moir Messervy, a landscape designer and author, received a Doctor of Fine Arts degree as a leader of a movement in which landscape design is as much a personal journey as it is about leaving a unique imprint upon the earth, the school said.
Related Stories
UMass Dartmouth graduates for 2007 Kerry offers advice, humor at UMass Dartmouth commencementA day for pomp and circumstanceLaw school graduates urged to help protect personal liberty51-year-old UMD grad overcame personal hardships to achieve her dreams, and urges fellow boomers to seize the dayBridgewater State graduates urged to make a difference Related Photo Galleries
Yesterday's commencements
05/28/2007
Boston Globe
Amherst College,
Amherst
Graduates 409.
Degrees Bachelor's.
Speaker Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.
Honorary degrees Patrick Fitzgerald, US attorney, Northern District of Illinois; Joel Klein, chancellor, New York City Department of Education; H. Axel Schupf, cochairman, the Amherst College Campaign; Valerie B. Jarrett, managing director, the Habitat Co.; Marilynne Robinson, novelist; J. Peter Toennies, chemist; Paul Yock, cochairman, Stanford University department of bioengineering; Cardinal Zen.
Framingham State College, Framingham
Graduates 1,172.
Degrees Bachelor's, master's.
Speaker Laurie Boyer, research fellow at Whitehead Institute and assistant professor at MIT.
Honorary degrees Boyer and Anne Paulsen, retired state representative.
Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley
Graduates 549.
Degrees Master's, bachelor's, postbaccalaureate certificate, certificate for international students.
Speaker Wendy Kopp, founder and president, Teach for America.
Honorary degrees Eleanor Reed Adair, radiation scientist; Debra Martin Chase, movie producer; Lieutenant Commander Charles D. Swift, US Navy lawyer.
UMass-Dartmouth, North Dartmouth
Graduates 1,764
Degrees Bachelor's, master's, doctoral.
Speaker US Senator John F. Kerry.
Honorary degrees Teresa Heinz Kerry, chairwoman of Heinz Family Philanthropies; Edmund Barry Gaither, director and curator of the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists; the Rev. Robert P. Lawrence, pastor of First Congregational Church in Fall River; Julie Moir Messervy, landscape designer and author.
Copyright � 2007 Globe Newspaper Company
A time to shine
05/28/2007
Herald News
Michael Holtzman
Dressed in bright red robes, the lanky Massachusetts senator touted a perfect shirt-sleeve spring day when 'the Red Sox are winning and the Yankees are losing.' He jokingly shared what his political achievements have reaped his 59 million votes falling 5 million short - of 'American Idol' contestant Sanjaya- and a kind of instant recognition at airports when told 'you look like that Kerry guy in Washington.' The keynote speaker, Kerry received from Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack the prestigious 'Chancellor's Medal' in recognition of his 'passionate and skillful leadership' for some 25 years of contributions to the region to bolster many sectors.
His wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, an international philanthropist and activist, was one of four recipients of honorary doctorate degrees, while the university also recognized two men with strong ties to Fall River for long-term, exemplary contributions. 'We have it so easy in this country in so many ways because of what people did before us,' Kerry said when he turned serious. 'But what we have is not guaranteed, and some of it is at risk. '... We need you. We need you to care,' Kerry told the 1,764 graduates, the university's largest class. The graduating class is 15 percent larger than last year and nearly 500 students larger than five years ago.
While some people might avoid citizen responsibilities believing their efforts futile, Kerry evoked courageous heroes such as Lech Walesa founding Solidarity in Poland and Rosa Parks igniting the civil rights movement by keeping her bus seat in Montgomery, Ala., to show otherwise.
The decorated Vietnam War veteran, speaking at the spacious Vietnam Veterans Memorial Peace Amphitheater, summarized four challenges he termed the country's most important.
If 90 percent of the world's scientists are predicting a world calamity from global climate changes - with not one study to the contrary - Kerry said, 'We have an obligation to respond.' If the scientists are wrong, cleaner air and water and fewer cases of asthma would be the reward. What happens if the critics of global warming activism are wrong? 'Catastrophe,' Kerry said. The other three priorities, he said, include 'restoring America's moral authority in the world;' the 'unconscionable' circumstance of 11 million American children without health care; and 'closing doors' on opportunities by cutting Pell Grants for college students and squeezing wages and job benefits for average workers. 'We need to get back to being the country that opens those doors of opportunity,' Kerry said. 'Please remember, you can make that difference,' he said. MacCormack, before she asked the graduates to always remember the people who helped them reached this Memorial Day weekend milestone, officially opened the ceremonies by accepting the university mace from Lester Cory, professor of computer engineering and senior faculty member.
Cory, who grew up in Fall River and graduated from B.M.C. Durfee High School, is retiring after 48 years as a student and professor at this university.
Cory, a Tiverton resident, served as commencement chief marshal.
MacCormack and UMass President Jack M. Wilson, presiding at his first Dartmouth graduation, presented the four honorary doctorate degrees of human letters. Wilson boomed each recipient's name and award in a voice heard throughout the open arena.
Perhaps none of the four beamed more proudly than the Rev. Robert P. Lawrence, senior pastor of the First Congregational Church in Fall River since 1985, who next month will retire after 50 years in ministry.
MacCormack called Lawrence, the recipient of numerous community awards, a 'beloved' pastor, 'man of God and man of the people.' She said he epitomized 'loving your neighbor' while providing 'a moral compass for others.' MacCormick's theme of the day was showing appreciation. 'So many people have done so much to make today possible. Please, always remember that, always appreciate that and return the favor to someone else when you have that opportunity,' she said. Wilson recognized MacCormack's leadership, while calling Dartmouth 'a model for partnerships between the university and the community.' Class president Kristi Matsumoto shared a lasting memento by playing dozens of audio snippets of her classmates joking and remembering what they enjoyed about college life. 'Never forget what you have learned here and always look back fondly on your time at UMD,' Matsumoto said.
UMASS-DARTMOUTH - Kerry to grads Fight injustice, change world
05/28/2007
Patriot Ledger, The
LOCAL NEWS By The Patriot Ledger
DARTMOUTH - Sen. John Kerry urged graduating students at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to ''fight injustice and help ''change the world.''Students just like the Class of 2007 have changed the world before, and you can bet theyll do it again, Kerry told the students yesterday during a commencement ceremony.''They didnt do it by sitting on their hands.... They did it by fighting injustice wherever they saw it. They did it by demanding change.More than 1,700 students received diplomas at the universitys 107th commencement ceremony.The following area students received degrees from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth ABINGTON - Johanne Benoit, Shane Crowley, Jamie Dombrowski, Michael Hitchins, Mbela Kabongo, Michael Killory, Eva Koah, Demetrios Stavropoulos, William WaltersBRAINTREE - Damien Boudreau, Adam Brown, Meredith Cooper, Jennifer Crowley, Sami Jreige, Sean Kelley, Michael Larkin, Richard Leland, Kerri Murphy, Kerri Murphy, Richard OLeary, Matthew PadinhaCANTON - James Harrington, Kaitlyn Kandler, Guerline Menard, Iryna Sabor CARVER - Alicia Fernandes, Antone Pinto, Megan Plante, Jennifer Saltalamacchia, Jeremy TaylorDUXBURY - Lindsay Hovis, Kristen McLaughlin, Joshua YoungHALIFAX - Gregory BakerHANSON - Jennifer Briscoe, Leanne Folan, Cynthia Medico
HINGHAM - Douglas FrenchHOLBROOK - Richard Amicangelo, Craig Fisher, Casey Flynn, Ashley McGrory, Richard Oakley, Eric PetitpasHULL - Melissa ClarkKINGSTON - Christina Briggs, Amanda Clancy, Sabrina Collins, Alexis Hartman, Melissa Kelley- MARSHFIELD - Gregory Colligan, Nancy Raen-Mendez, Lucas Rhodes, Sarah StantonMILTON - Sasha Barker, Pascal OparaNORWELL - Meghan OReillyPEMBROKE - Heather Barry, Daniel Chase, Catherine Forde, Erin Gould, Kimberly Gray, Ryan Hill, Jill Scanlan, Fay Verkade, Rebecca YeatonPLYMOUTH - Allison Baker, Bradley Bosanquet, Virginia Boudwin, Kevin Burke, Timothy Butler, Elizabeth Chaisson, Benjamin Coombs, Erin Correa, Brendan Dever, Joseph Doherty, Gregory Farrell, Daniel Ford, Sarah Gallerani, Daniel Gerrish, Catherine Gren, Jessica Hamill, Brendan Heslin, Dawn Jackson, William Leavitt, John Mc Allister, Michael McCloskey, Jessica Negrini, Julie Noble, Lauren OMara, Stephanie Pinter, Lindsay Quintal, Angela Santos, Adrianne Schaefer, Yun Tang, Kathryn Waitkevich, Ashley WhiteQUINCY - Michael Doyle, Kathryn Ioannilli, Crystal Mahoney, Kerin OToole, Katie Portanova, Lauren Ready, Marc Samson, Joseph Scribi, Caitlyn Slowe, Brendan SullivanRANDOLPH - LaDonna Christian, Christopher DiBenedetto, Timothy Farrell, Jessica Gellis, Matthew Jansen, Justin Joyce, Jim Mathew, Jaclyn Tuton, Heather TutonROCKLAND - Rebecca Barber, Matthew Butkiewicz, Patrick Clougherty, Douglas Harvey, Mai Nguyen, Jacob Noble, Eric WaltersSCITUATE - Jessica Fopiano, Stephanie Long, Shevawn Mayo, Angela Sciara, Samantha WinquistSHARON - Gary Albert, Russell BakerSTOUGHTON - Andee Peters-Kurtz, Andrew FitzgeraldWHITMAN - Robert Kanelopoulos, Adam Proulx
Get involved, Kerry tells UMass-Dartmouth grads
05/27/2007
Providence Journal - Online
DARTMOUTH, Mass. Sen. John F. Kerry took himself out of the race for president four months ago when he announced, on the floor of Senate, that he wouldnt be making a second bid for the White House.
But, to hear him talk yesterday, you couldnt chalk up his decision to a sense of defeat or indifference.
In the keynote address at the 107th commencement at the University of MassachusettsDartmouth, Kerry urged the graduates to become politically involved. Ive been in public life now for almost every day since I left college. And Ive seen a lot of things that were good, a lot of things weve changed. But Ive also seen a level of procrastination, a level of avoidance, a level of irresponsibility, and a level of danger growing that challenges all of us. And what I know after all those years is it doesnt have to be this way, he said. The speech was sprinkled with pop references. Although no longer a member of the younger generation, Kerry, 63, included Jay Leno-worthy quips about Paris Hilton, Paula Abdul, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.
He even threw in remark about Sanjaya Malakar, the 17-year-old American Idol contestant whose voice was so bad his candidacy was promoted by the people, such as radio host Howard Stern, trying to topple the popular Fox TV program. I received over 59 million votes for president, yet I am humbled to know that its still 5 million fewer people than voted for Sanjaya, Kerry said. In terms of being with it, the junior senator from Massachusetts was almost upstaged by senior class president Kristi Nicole Matsumoto.
Matsumoto, who was graduating with a bachelor of fine arts in visual design, had a friend plug her iPod into the sound system. For the next few minutes, a podcast rang out through the Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial Amphitheater, with the voices of Matsumotos classmates recounting their experience as undergraduates.
In the four years since they enrolled, Matsumoto said, she and her classmates have seen the Dartmouth campus change from a predominantely commuter school to a residential institution. Nearly 45 percent of the 8,800 students at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth live on campus today, up from 28 percent seven years ago, UMass spokesman John Hoey said after the speech.
Kerry congratulated the graduates on their hard work. He said he understood how taxing the demands of jobs and families would become once they establish themselves.
Nevertheless, he urged the Class of 2007 to become politically active, especially where the environment is concerned. When I came back from Vietnam, it wasnt to protest the war, said Kerry, who was a spokesman for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. It was to take part in Earth Day, he said, referring to the first Earth Day, in 1970. And we went out there 20 million Americans strong, because we were tired of seeing rivers light on fire, tired of seeing toxic chemical sites take over where we should have clean water with wells. Those 20 million people created accountability, Kerry said 7 of the 12 congressman known as the Dirty Dozen, for their opposition to environmental measures, were defeated, and a barrage of pro-environment legislation was passed. We passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and Richard Nixon signed the Environmental Protection Agency into existence, Kerry said. We didnt even have that until people went out and made that happen. It wasnt politicians who gave it to you. It was you who made it happen, he said
Brown, UMass Dartmouth graduations on the Web
05/27/2007
Providence Journal - Online
Brown Universitys 239th commencement will be held today. The days events begin at 9 45 a.m., when the commencement procession steps off on the College Green.
There will be a live video Web cast during the ceremony, from about noon to 2 p.m. You can learn more about the Web cast at www.brown.edu/web/commencement/2007/media/.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouths 107th commencement exercises will begin today at 9 45 a.m. in the Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial Amphitheater.
There will be a live Web cast of the commencement proceedings up until the conferral of degrees. To learn more about the Web cast, go to www.umassd.edu/commencement/webcast.cfm.
