Spring Commencement was Double Dynamite
May 30, 2017
FSC’s 98th Commencement – the largest in recent memory – saw more than 900 students receive degrees, and a roster of speakers that included honorary Doctor of Science recipients Stanley Bergman, CEO of Henry Schein, Inc. and former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin; New York Senator Charles Schumer; Valedictorian Brian Muff, and President John Nader.
Stanley Bergman
Commencement was divided into two ceremonies again, with the School of Business and School of Health Sciences awarding degrees in the morning, and the School of Arts & Sciences and School of Engineering Technology doing likewise in the afternoon.
A common theme among the speakers was a challenge to “Go for It!”
Bergman spoke at the 10 a.m. ceremony and ticked off 10 life lessons he has learned, beginning when he was a child growing up in South Africa. Among them were: play to win, treat everyone with respect – the way you would like to be treated, think global, act with enlightened self-interest, and no dream is too big, especially for Americans. He also challenged Millennials in the graduating class: “Mentor your elders so we can understand how to best use technology.”
Leland Melvin
Melvin spoke about his space adventures, especially one journey in which he viewed the earth and noted: “There weren’t enough names for the blues of the ocean.” Having had that experience, he noted, made him want to do better, and be better. Live with purpose. Have empathy for others. Embrace the unknown.
Senator Schumer – who praised FSC profusely – encouraged graduates to meet the challenges ahead, and told two stories: one about a trip-around-the-world scholarship he passed up in favor of a girlfriend – who dumped him a few months later – and his decision to enter politics – much to the dismay of his mother. “She told people to vote against me!”
Brian Muff
Muff quoted Mark Twain, who said “The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” He went on to tell his fellow graduates: “We have cultivated a surplus of a commodity more valuable than silver or gold – knowledge.”
President Nader praised those seated before him, saying “I can tell you from direct involvement with our year-end celebrations of applied learning experiences, successful internships, academic excellence, undergraduate research, and artistic and athletic achievement, that we are in the presence of a highly talented and highly motivated group of students.”
President Nader also noted – with appreciation – the large number of faculty and staff participating in both ceremonies.
The SGA announced that its gift to the 2017 class is mobile-device charging stations around campus.
