KINGSTON, R.I. – Dec. 16, 2024 – University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange reminded graduates at Saturday’s fall commencement that this was not the end, but the beginning of the next leg of their journey.

“Keep growing, keep building, and keep learning,” Parlange urged. “These principles will guide you through whatever comes your way.”

Parlange, URI faculty and trustees, and student speaker Anna-Trang Truong of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, provided words of praise and advice to the more than 550 graduates seated on the floor of the Ryan Center, which was decked out for commencement with a row of red poinsettias lining the front of the stage. Ringing the graduates was a boisterous crowd of more than 3,000 family and friends, some waving pictures of their graduating loved ones. 

Fall 2024 Commencement

On Saturday, Dec. 14, URI celebrated more than 550 of its newest alumni during its annual fall commencement ceremony.

WATCH THe ceremony

Sixteen of those in the crowd were there to support Alexa Bell of Cumberland, Rhode Island, who was collecting bachelor’s degrees in public health and economics. Bell, who plans to take a gap year to study for her LSAT exams and apply to law school, said commencement caps 16 years of school.

“Graduation and earning these degrees is a celebration of not only my hard work but of my parents’ hard work and all the support I have received throughout my education, from first grade to now,” said Bell, lining up with her fellow graduates in the hallways of the Ryan Center before the ceremony. “I loved the community I gained through URI, as well as the immense support of faculty and staff.”

Catherine Quesnelle of Bristol, Rhode Island, and Riley Maffia of Allentown, New Jersey, both graduates of the pharmaceutical sciences program, said they liked the program’s close-knit environment and how it has prepared them for jobs in the regulatory and policy side of the pharmaceutical industry.

“I really enjoyed all the opportunities the program offered,” said Quesnelle. “There was a class we took over J-Term in which we visited industries in Rhode Island, and we got to prepare our resumes, elevator pitches, and really got to learn how to market ourselves.”

“I loved how small the program was because there’s not that many of us,” added Maffia. “The classes are smaller and we had more one-on-one time with the professors.”

Alexandra Mukisa of Port Jervis, New York, had similar feelings about the biotechnology program, where she was able to do research on cerebral palsy. “There was always an opportunity to excel and succeed. I really liked the environment,” said Mukisa, who plans on a career in research and possibly getting a master’s degree.

“Today, we are here to celebrate a commencement—the culmination of your achievements, perseverance, and years of hard work,” said Parlange in his opening remarks. “But commencement, by definition, also marks the beginning. … As you step into this next chapter, I want you to leave here knowing you are ready for anything.”

To be ready for anything, he advised, “grow bigger in the face of adversity. If you keep growing and adapting to these challenges, you will face setbacks with courage that will keep you moving forward.”

“Wherever you go, build communities of trust, empathy, and shared purpose,” he added. “Approach every situation with an open mind, seek out new perspectives that challenge your own, and continue to educate yourself long after you leave here.”

As Truong prepared to address her fellow graduates, she was greeted by a large family contingent waving photos of her. Truong, who graduated with a business administration degree in management with a focus on human resources, urged graduates to remember their journeys, never forget where they came from and to celebrate their achievements.

“The challenges each one of you overcame to be where you are today will forever drive the impact you will make in this world,” she said.

A first-generation student, her academic journey has been marked by resilience, said Truong, who thanked her parents—in their native Vietnamese—for the sacrifices they made to build a better life for her and her siblings. 

Amid the pandemic, she recalled, she faced having to change majors, giving up her hope of being a nurse—a chance she saw as a way to honor her parents by pursuing a life of giving back. Instead, she plans to use her degree in business administration to ensure people from all backgrounds “feel represented and valued, especially in health care.”

“We are all here today because we refused to give up,” she told graduates. “We did not turn our back on ourselves, on our dreams, and most importantly, on the people who love and believe in us. Let us go forward honoring the sacrifices that brought us here today and make that difference.” 

After leading the graduates in the Rhody cheer “one final time as students,” Board of Trustees member Cortney Nicolato ’01, president and chief executive officer of United Way of Rhode Island, welcomed the graduates to the 140,000-member URI alumni family, which “stretches across the country and around the world.”

“Our alumni community is made of hand raisers and game changers, with the deep commitment of making the world a better place and supporting you throughout your journey,” she said. “I encourage you to stay connected to this amazing community and take advantage of all that it has to offer.”

Before concluding the ceremony, Parlange asked the graduates to think about the “transformative concept” of investment.

He recalled recent investments that are transforming the University and the student experience, along with the investments students make in themselves by completing their degree and pursuing their passions.

“Today’s ceremony is a reminder that when we invest in students, ideas, communities, and ourselves, we are investing in a brighter future for everybody,” he said. “Graduates, carry this legacy forward. Invest wisely. Invest in ways that uplift others, build community and leave a lasting impact. Because, as you have seen here, investment has the power to transform lives, create opportunities, and change the world.”