On May 13, Anna Maria College celebrated its 75^th Commencement at the DCU Center in Worcester. The Class of 2024 was awarded 319 degrees and included a highly diverse student body with graduates from all over the globe including Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Paraguay, Sweden, and Turkey.

Kayla Drew ‘25, a nursing student, sang the National Anthem after students and faculty processed down the red carpet.

The opening remarks made by Anna Maria College’s 11th president, Mary Lou Retelle, focused on how Anna Maria graduates take their educational achievements and use them to positively impact other around them. Whether as social workers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, educators, business leaders, and more, the Class of 2024 is dedicated to public service.

Student Speaker and Social Work student Shayla MacDonald ‘24 was very involved as a hockey player and tutor at Anna Maria’s Student Success Center. A Canadian citizen, Shayla spoke about the connections she formed on campus as she found a home away from home.

During the Commencement ceremony, three honorary degrees were conferred. Paul A. DiPierro, a member of Anna Maria’s Board of Trustees and Director of Sales at Lowell Corporation received an honorary Doctorate of Business Administration. John J. Spillane has been on Anna Maria’s Board of Trustees for 14 years and served as Chair of the Board from 2017 to 2023. In addition to his leadership at Anna Maria College, John is the managing partner of Spillane & Spillane. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws.

President and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Dr. Eric Dickson was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Public Administration. Dr. Dickson knows the ripple effect that one person can have on the lives of others and shared his experiences with Anna Maria students during his Commencement Address.

Anna Maria College recognized three graduates who achieved superlatives in academics, community, and service to others. Law & Society major Tiara S. Smith ‘24 was awarded the Bishop Timothy J. Harrington Award, the Sr. Yvette Bellerose Award was presented to Psychology major Haylee Walker ‘24, and the Sr. Bernadette Madore Award for Academic Excellence was bestowed upon Mark Henry Cavallaro ‘24.

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