View the Commencement Highlights Video
Anna Maria College held its 76th Commencement on Monday, May 12, 2025, at the DCU Center in Worcester. The ceremony marked a significant transition for the 355 graduates and served as a milestone for President Mary Lou Retelle, who presided over her last commencement before retirement.
The ceremony began with faculty members “clapping in” the Class of 2025 followed by a welcome from President Mary Lou Retelle.
In her address, President Retelle focused on the graduates. “You are the authors of the next chapter in the American story of opportunity,” she said. “Embrace your potential. Serve with empathy. And never forget that success is measured by the lives you touch and the hope you generate.” She added, “Mission and values are not abstract concepts here — they are lived experiences woven into every aspect of your education.”
The ceremony featured the conferral of honorary degrees to President Retelle, who received a Doctor of Humane Letters, and Kelsa Zereski, President of Reliant Foundation, who received a Doctor of Public Administration before delivering the commencement address titled “Community and Courage on the Unclear Road Ahead.” She told graduates that “the world doesn’t need perfect people. It needs courageous, compassionate, hopeful people. It needs you.”
Psychology major and student-athlete Carly Drew spoke for the students. “Great things never come from comfort zones,” she emphasized, sharing how this mantra helped her through her college journey.
Three exceptional graduates received special recognition: Caterina Krusas earned the Bishop Timothy J. Harrington Award for compassionate service in promoting peace and justice; Mensur Bacaliu, the inaugural graduate of the Forensic Science Program, received the Sr. Yvette Bellerose Award for embodying the college’s mission; and Carly Drew was honored with the Dr. Bernadette Madore Award for Academic Excellence.
As the ceremony concluded with the traditional moving of tassels and the benediction by the Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, the graduates prepared to carry forward their Anna Maria education into their careers and communities.
