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Students and faculty members at the College of New Rochelle hosted its final commencement ceremony this week, with nearly 1,000 graduates sporting their caps and gowns at the "bittersweet event."
Amid a three-year financial crisis, the 115-year-old college announced earlier this year that they would be shuttering its doors at the conclusion of the academic year, with students transferring to Mercy College for the fall semester.
CNR President William Latimer told the students at the ceremony to remember their experiences at the college and that although the doors will be closed, “as long as you remember this and tell those stories, CNR’s legacy will live on in you.”
Former Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, who was the commencement speaker, said that as the last days of the college approached, she wasn’t sure what she would speak about to the graduates.
“Then I suddenly realized that while the bricks and mortar will be no more, the legacy, like the Phoenix, is rising to become bigger, better and transformative,” she said. “For the legacy is imbued in each of us by virtue of our education and the expectation that we will lead and serve.
“So I admonish you to always remain focused on the greater good. My charge to you is to construct environments that are exciting places, thoughtful, engaging and reflective. Prepare new generations of adults for ongoing participation in the democracy that is being held hostage. Exhibit and demand a morality and a value system that is nurturing and humanistic…ones that translate to social and economic policies.”
Calling it a “bittersweet moment,” Alejandro Vicenti, who received a master’s degree, said that he “experienced so many good times here and met so many people who helped me with advancing my career along the way. I hope the students here today will continue to grow and keep in touch with each other as the years go on.”
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