Commencement 2021

Academic Procession

National Anthem

Invocation

Gretchen Flicker ’93
Chair, Board of Trustees

Welcome

Katie Conboy, Ph.D.
President

Saint Catherine Medal

Presented by
Katie Conboy, Ph.D.
President

Lumen Christi Award

Presented by
Margaret M. Gower, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Mission

Madeleva Award

Presented by
Colleen M. Hoover, Ph.D.
Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies

Valedictories

Kelly Harris
Katie Jackson
Stefanie Winnicki

President’s Medal

Presented by
Katie Conboy, Ph.D.
President

Citations for Honorary Degrees

Presented by
Titilayo Ufomata, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

To read more about today’s honorees, click here.

Commencement Address

Presented by
Nancy P. Nekvasil, Ph.D.
Former Interim President

To read more about Nancy Nekvasil, click here.

Citations for Graduate and Undergraduate Degrees in Course

Presented by
Titilayo Ufomata
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Presentation of Graduates

Tracy P. White
Senior Academic Advisor

Conferral of Degrees and Charge to the Class

Katie Conboy, Ph.D.
President

The Bells of Saint Mary’s

Recession

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Class of 2021

The Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice

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The Degree of Master of Autism Studies

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The Degree of Master of Science

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The Degree of Bachelor of Arts

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The Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration

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The Degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts

Emma Louise Panowicz
Granger, IN
Art
Cum Laude

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The Degree of Bachelor of Music

Emily Claire Pantelleria
Fennville, MI
Music Education

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The Degree of Bachelor of Science

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The Degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing

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The Degree of Bachelor of Social Work

*SDM- Student-Designed Major

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Honors

Department Awards

Art

Saint Luke’s Medal – Alexis Zachary

Sister Edna Service Award – KatieBeth Hollman and Emma Panowicz

Biology

Mother M. Rose Elizabeth, CSC Award – Veronica Vanoverbeke

Sister M. Rosaleen Dunleavy, CSC Award – McKenna O’Shea and Megan Saunders

George and Juanda Bick Nature Award – Shaylee Smith

Business Administration and Economics

Frank A. Yeandel Service Award – Sara Aubry

Jerome L. McElroy Outstanding Achievement Award – Kelly Harris

Academic Achievement Award – Kelly Harris

Achievement Award (Accounting) – Lillian Rumley

Achievement Award (Economics) – Julia Wilson

Achievement Award (Finance) – Kelly Harris

Achievement Award (Management) – Addie Bobosky

Academic Achievement Award (Marketing) – Allison Driscoll

Ernst & Young Award – Katherine Krecek

Deloitte Award – Sara Aubry

Crowe Horwath Award– Lillian Rumley

PricewaterhouseCoopers Award – Madelyn Hopek

Chemistry and Physics

Mother M. Rose Elizabeth, CSC Award – Natasha Robinson

American Institute of Chemists Award – Ana Martinez

Richard Tarara Academic Excellence in Physics Award – Kerrie Koller

The F. Lee Benton Exceptional Service and Research in Physics Award – Aubrey Houser

Communication Studies, Dance, and Theatre

Ann Plamondon Award for Excellence in Communication Studies – Hannah Thomas

Communication Studies Service Award – Elizabeth Day

Terpsichorean Award for Excellence in Dance – Elisabeth Lasecki (ND) and Emily Wenglarz

Education

Mary A. McDermott Award – Karly Marth

Mimi Doherty Junior Elementary Education Award – MaryKatherine Dempsey

IACTE Outstanding Future Educators Award – Andrew Liftka (ND), Mary Muzzy, and Anna Sartori

Schmuhl Early Education Award – Alicia Ready and Brianna Smith

Grace Sullivan McGuire Award – Emma Daggy and KatieBeth Hollman

English

Elisabeth A. Noel English Prize – Brittany Blagburn

Laurie A. Lesniewski Creative Writing Award – Alexandra Calleros and Riley O’Mearns 

Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies Award – Isabela Tibbits

Gender and Women’s Studies

Mary Frances Eder Halpin Award in Gender and Women’s Studies – Amory Descoteaux and Grace Maher

Global Studies

Outstanding Achievement in Global Studies – Stefanie Winnicki

Outstanding Senior Comprehensive Award in Global Studies – Monica Rzepka

History

Martha Montgomery Schurz Memorial Award for Excellence in History – Elizabeth Day and Mackenzie Mas

Martha Montgomery Schurz Memorial Award for Excellence in the Senior Seminar Research Paper – Sophie Koeppl

Martha Montgomery Schurz Memorial Award for Excellence in Writing in the Women’s History Program – Grace Grueninger and Sara Schlecht

Humanistic Studies

Thomas More Award – Erin Grimes and Grace Maher

Mathematics

Milko Jeglic Award – Mary Blake

Elizabeth Lin Lo Award – Sarah Bub and Emily Tobias

Donald E. Miller Award – Nicole Becker

Modern Languages

Leonilda Francesca Acerra and Dominico Enrico Christofaro Award in Italian – Jaqueline Rojas

Anne Cashore Borjas Award in Spanish – Susana Guerrero, Mary Margaret Kunz, and Marisabel Sanchez

Spanish Service Award – Susana Guerrero and Marisabel Sanchez

Music

Emma Krost Eder Award for Musical Excellence – Megan Orzolek

Nursing Science

Evelyn McGuiness Award for Excellence in Nursing – Grace Zablocki

Humanitarian in Nursing Award – Kaelyn Brecevic

Political Science

Juliette Noone Lester Award – Maeve Filbin

Psychology

Animating Spirit Award – Ivol Frasier and Zoe Gatzimos

Joseph Miller Outstanding Scholarship Award – Julianna McKenna and Alison Schibi

Religious Studies

Helen Carroll Award – Mackenzie Mas  

David J. Murphy Carmelite Award – Molly Soper

Social Work and Gerontology

Academic Excellence Award – Kaitlyn Heiss

Leadership Award – Rebecca Klaybor and Cailey Muldoon

Josephine Murphy Kuhl Research Award – Katerina Esguerra, Kaitlyn Heiss, Lauren Wood, and Faith Young

Kristi A. Morris Award – Faith Young

Sociology

Donald N. M. Horning Award – Susana Guerrero

Speech Language Pathology

Ancora Imparo Award – Lindsey Pelletier  

Carolyn S. Langley Award (Graduate Program) – Sydney Susaraba

College Awards

Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award

Morgan VanderWey

Saint Mary’s College Alumnae Association

2021 Outstanding Senior Award

Addie Bobosky

Sigma Xi Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award

Biology – Veronica Vanoverbeke

Chemistry – Ana Martinez

Mathematics – Erin Doyle 

Physics – Kerrie Koller

Maryjeanne R. Burke and Daughters Pre-tenure Faculty SISTAR (Student Independent Study and Research) Awards

Libbey Detcher '23 and Assistant Professor Susan Mancino

Transgenerational Impacts of Children's Media: The Fred Rogers Company

Kappa Gamma Pi

National Catholic College Graduate Honor Society

Formal Academic Regalia

The formal academic regalia worn by today’s graduates and faculty have their origin in the clerical costumes of medieval Europe and have evolved into a great variety of patterns and styles. Late in the last century, American colleges and universities agreed to standardize their regalia; however, there is now a movement to return to individual designs for each institution.

The gown worn by those holding or receiving the bachelor’s degree is plain black with pointed sleeves. The master’s gown is characterized by a uniquely long, closed sleeve with a slit at the elbow, through which the arm protruded; this peculiarity is now being replaced by a sleeve more like that of a bachelor’s. The doctoral gown has very full bell sleeves and is trimmed with velvet in panels down the front and stripes across the sleeves.

The familiar mortarboard cap bears only a faint resemblance to its close relative, the clerical biretta. Some institutions now specify that a soft cap somewhat like a tam o’shanter is worn. The cap worn by those with a bachelor’s degree is decorated with a black tassel or a color indicative of the area of study. Those earning a master’s degree wear black tassels. Those earning a doctorate wear either black or metallic gold.

Most symbolic and informative of the regalia is the hood, which is no longer raised over the head but is hung down the back just as a cleric wore it when baring the head in church. The bachelor’s hood is three feet long, the master’s is three-and-one-half feet, and the doctoral’s is four feet long with a rectangular panel which once served as a shoulder cape when the hood was raised. All of the hoods have a velvet border in the color of the degree according to the same system used for the trim of the doctoral gown (see below).

Degree colors (tassels and hood trim)

*Arts and Humanities  White
*Science  Yellow
*Fine Arts  Brown
*Music  Pink
*Business  Drab Light Brown
*Social Work  Citron
*Nursing  Apricot
Philosophy  Dark Blue
Education  Light Blue
Theology  Scarlet
Library Science  Lemon
Engineering  Orange
Law  Purple

*Saint Mary’s College degrees

Other colors may be found on faculty hoods, although most hold a PhD or doctorate of philosophy, so their hoods will have dark blue trim.

The colors and patterns of the satin lining of the hood identify the college or university conferring the degree; most prominent in the procession today is the light blue background and white chevron of Saint Mary’s College.

Richard C. Pilger Jr.
Marshal Emeritus

Sister Madeleva Walking Stick

The walking stick of Sister Madeleva Wolff, CSC serves as a reminder of College’s founders and sponsors, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. As one of the College’s longest serving presidents, Sister Madeleva guided Saint Mary’s to its status as the country’s premiere Catholic liberal arts college for women, and it is appropriate that an artifact from her life serves as a link to the College’s history.    

Sister Madeleva associated walking sticks with the pilgrim’s staff used to traverse the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  So this walking stick also serves as a symbol of both the path our students will tread as they leave the College as pilgrims in life and the support they will need on the way.  

Each new President chooses which, of the many walking sticks that Sister Madeleva collected over her life, is to be used during that President’s tenure. The selected symbol leads the processions at academic ceremonies, much as a ceremonial mace does at other colleges. The one used in the procession today is a brightly colored cane attributed to southern Mexico. It contains images of a flying eagle with a snake in its mouth in the upper area near the shepherd’s crook shaped handle.  

Board of Trustees

*Chair Emerita

**Trustee Emeritus

Officers of the College

Katie Conboy, PhD
President

Titilayo Ufomata, PhD
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dana Strait, PhD
Vice President for Strategy and Finance

Mona C. Bowe
Vice President for Enrollment Management

Margaret M. Gower, PhD
Interim Vice President for Mission

Gloria Roldan Jenkins
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs

Marty McCampbell, JD
General Counsel

Elizabeth Gray Koultourides
Interim Vice President for College Relations

Commencement Committee

In Memoriam

Cheryl Stillson

Cheryl Stillson was a familiar face during Saint Mary’s Commencement weekend, providing sign language services for more than 25 years at both Baccalaureate Mass and the Commencement ceremony. She also taught American Sign Language as a part time faculty member in the Speech Language Pathology Department from 1992–2019. Cheryl was the ultimate professional and took great pride in her work. Students loved her passion and how she actively engaged them in class. Her kind and loving presence will be missed this weekend. Cheryl passed away on November 10, 2020.

The Belles of Saint Mary's

Mission Statement

Founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1844, Saint Mary’s College promotes a life of intellectual vigor, aesthetic appreciation, religious sensibility, and social responsibility. Saint Mary’s is a Catholic, residential, women’s, liberal arts college offering undergraduate degrees and co-educational graduate programs.

A pioneer in the education of women, the College fosters an inclusive, academic community where students discover and develop their talents as they prepare to make a difference in the world. All members of the College contribute to this mission in their response to the complex needs and challenges of contemporary life.

Statement of Philosophy and Purpose

As a center of higher education, Saint Mary’s fosters an academic climate of scholarship and learning for faculty and students alike. Through excellence in teaching and the example of its own active scholarship, the faculty challenge students to expand their horizons and support them in their intellectual pursuits. A broad-based course of study invites students to think critically and creatively about the natural world and human culture. Acknowledging the need to prepare women for an array of careers, the College provides a liberal arts foundation for all students. Through their years at Saint Mary’s, students acquire depth and breadth of knowledge, competence in quantitative skills and modern languages, the ability to think clearly about complex problems, and the capacity to communicate with precision and style.

As a Catholic college, Saint Mary’s cultivates a community of intellectual inquiry, liturgical prayer, and social action. The College creates an open forum in which students freely and critically study the rich heritage of the Catholic tradition, raising the questions necessary to develop a mature religious life. The celebration of liturgy encourages students to explore the fullness of life and its mysteries. The College nurtures awareness and compassion for a troubled world and challenges students to promote human dignity throughout their lives. In preparing women for roles of leadership and action, Saint Mary’s pays particular attention to the rights and responsibilities of women in the worlds of work, church, community, and family.

Dedicated to the personal and social growth of its students, Saint Mary’s cultivates a community of students, faculty, and staff, which responds to the needs of women. In order to offer the richest educational experience possible, the College strives to bring together women of different nations, cultures, and races. It provides a residential environment where women grow in their appreciation of the strengths and needs of others. Through a host of co-curricular programs on campus and in the local community, Saint Mary’s initiates students in the habits of civic responsibility. Engaging in all aspects of the college experience, students acquire the hallmarks of a liberally educated woman: keen self-knowledge, lively imagination, lifelong intellectual and cultural interests, and the ability to make socially responsible choices about the future.