SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall University celebrated its 160th baccalaureate commencement at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on May 15. Seton Hall graduated 1,465 undergraduate students, making the Class of 2017 the largest in the university’s history.
In addition, 1,116 graduate students received master’s and doctorate degrees, making the total graduates for this commencement season 2,581.
With this year’s graduates Seton Hall reached a historic milestone, surpassing 100,000 living alumni in its worldwide network. Elianni De La Cruz, an economics major from Passaic who graduated magna cum laude, was celebrated for being the graduate who put the university over the mark.
Delivering the commencement address was Matthew W. Wright ’89, founder and president of Disciplina Group LLC, which includes Disciplina Advisors, a risk consultancy firm, and Disciplina Capital Management, an investment advisory firm. Prior to founding the Disciplina Group, he served as vice chancellor for investments and chief investment officer of Vanderbilt University, the first black person to hold this title at a university with more than a $1 billion endowment. Wright received a bachelor of science degree in business with a major in finance from Seton Hall and a master of business administration degree from the University of Rochester.
Wright told the graduates to “embrace change, take risks, face challenges and make sure to listen to that still small voice within” and to see this day as “the start of a journey where you ultimately find your purpose.”
Also addressing the graduates was Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, the president of Seton Hall’s board of regents and chairman of its board of trustees.
“We call this day commencement, suggesting that rather than simply marking a milestone, something new begins today,” Tobin said, also noting that the graduates now have the skills necessary to “contribute consciously to the good of the state, nation, world and local communities where you live.”
Reflecting on the day, interim university President Mary Meehan expressed that this year’s graduating class demonstrated academic excellence infused with Catholic ideals that will enable them to be strong, ethical leaders who can effect positive change.
“Our society is moving quickly into a more ‘cognitive’ age, as they say, in which we all are compelled to learn new ways to process and connect information — but information or knowledge alone are not enough to face these big questions,” Meehan said. “Your new skills, supported by reason and faith, by ethics and compassion give you the kind of perspectives you’ll need as servant leaders to renew the society you have inherited and to infuse your communities with values that affirm life and justice. The answers you discover will not only define you but will impact countless others.”
The school recognized valedictorian Augustine “Gus” Glazov, who graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a minor in music performance. He has completed internships at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and at the Worldwide Orphans Foundation. Following graduation he will work for Teach for America in Appalachia, before attending law school.
“So, fellow graduates, let the content of our futures be defined by the horizons of our present dreams. Let our voices and actions be strong against every injustice encountered along the way. Let our minds be steadfast, our hearts be open, and our spirits be willing,” Glazov said in his valedictory address.
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