PROVIDENCE — Love overcomes.
That seemed to be the message at Providence College’s 97th commencement Sunday at the Dunkin Donuts Center in downtown Providence, where 878 undergraduates received their degrees, along with 225 graduate students and 48 in the School of Continuing Education, to the applause of hundreds of loving parents, friends, and other family members.
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It also was the message of commencement speaker Darlene Love, the voice behind such R&B tunes as “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry” and “He’s a Rebel.” Love saw early success as a member of the Blossoms in the 1950s and 1960s, only to be denied recognition and royalty payments by records producer Phil Spector. Love later sued Spector and had a comeback as a solo singer. She later was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Father Brian Shanley, O.P., President of Providence College, said Love “exemplifies that most fundamental Christian value, the capacity to forgive.”
“Hatred only hurts you,” Love told students. “And grudges [are] too heavy a burden to carry around.”
Love encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones in the pursuit of their dreams, recalling her move from her comfort zone, Los Angeles, to New York City, to reboot her career as a singer. “I wish you success as well as bumps in the road, because they will make you stronger,” Love said. “Remember, God’s got your back.”
Love concluded her speech by singing the gospel hymn, “My Tribute.” “How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me,” she sang.
The Class of 2015 already has a good start on the road to success. About a third of the class graduated with honors and 365 undergraduates have been named to an honor society. Over a third of the class has already been accepted into a job and another 16 percent are entering post-graduate studies.
Students have also distinguished themselves in community service. Each year, students in all classes give nearly 50,000 hours of their time to various causes both local and global. Among the Class of 2015, just over 40 percent have been involved in various campus leadership and service positions.
Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans delivered the invocation. “The law of love has been taught and the message of compassion has been incarnated,” Bishop Evans prayed. He called on God to “continue to guide” graduates and remind them of their many blessings, including the sacrifices of their families and the selfless devotion of their professors and the Dominican Fathers who sought to “inform and form” them.
Senior Class President Timothy M. McGrail told students to continue to strive for success, even when it means risking failure. “Don’t settle for mediocrity, because there is no such thing as being successfully mediocre. Go out and be the best. Be the best you can possibly be. Only when you do this, will you be truly successful,” McGrail said.
State and local officials also shared their advice with students. State Treasurer Seth Magaziner encouraged them to improve their communities. Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza urged them to continue to be students in life, asking questions and remaining curious about the way the world works.
In his remarks, Father Shanley, the school president, told students to find their purpose, modeling their lives after the Divine Comedy, an integral text in college’s Development of Western Civilization Program. “Go forth now to fashion your own Divine Comedy in your lives,” Shanley said.
The college awarded five honorary doctorates. Recipients were: Love; renowned chemist Henry C. Foley; Jane Lunin Perel, the founder of the women’s studies program at the school; and Kevin C. Phelan, a longtime trustee and generous donor who serves as president and co-chairman at Colliers International. A fifth honorary degree recipient, liberation theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P., was presented with his degree earlier in the spring.
Class valedictorians were Joseph Day, of Rehoboth, Mass., and Mason Sciotti, of North Attleboro, Mass. Day is entering the novitiate for the Dominican Order in August.
After the ceremony, students said the reality of graduation was still sinking in. “It’s weird. It’s different,” said Nishu Baral, an international student from Nepal who is headed to PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston.
Joining Baral at graduation were her parents and sisters. Baral said the earthquake in Nepal had hit in finals week. In its aftermath, she said she had felt the support of the Providence College community, which held a fundraiser for the victims of the quake.
Megan Skrypek, of Long Island, N.Y., said it felt good to have graduated. She is continuing her studies in engineering at Columbia University. “I’m very proud of my daughter,” said her mother, Christine. “I love Providence College. It’s an amazing school.”
