Graduation Day at Holy Cross: 751 receive diplomas
WORCESTER – It was a big day for Anhthi Phan.
In a few hours he was going to walk across a stage inside the DCU Center and get his diploma, signaling the moment he would officially become a Holy Cross graduate.
It's a walk that’s been taken by millions of graduates over the decades at colleges and universities worldwide, but for Phan, the idea of taking it made him nervous.
“I hope I don’t blank out,” said the Springfield native, who practiced walking in front of a mirror before Friday’s commencement to make sure he had his steps down.
The practice paid off, because Phan strolled across the stage, was handed his diploma by Holy Cross President Vincent Rougeau, and departed the riser with what looked like a slight smile.
Mission accomplished for Phan, and that can also be said for the other 750 seniors who earned their degrees in the main auditorium of the DCU.
“You did this,” Rougeau told the graduates, noting that 50 years ago on graduation day, the first women in Holy Cross history received their diplomas.
“That transformed this college forever and for the better,” said Rogeau.
The theme of women breaking barriers continued, as Holy Cross conferred an honorary degree to Laurie Leshin, director of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Leshin is the first woman to hold the top title in the propulsion lab’s 87-year history. She is also a former WPI president and the first woman in that institution's history to hold that job. Leshin told the graduates during her commencement address they must “dream things not yet possible" and do it by working with others.
She shared the story of Robert Goddard, a Worcester pioneer whom Lashin said was considered “crazy” by his peers when he followed his dream of launching a rocket into space. A New York Times editorial at the time mocked Goddard, according to Leshin, but he wasn’t deterred.
In 1926, after decades of research, Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn and Leshin said that moment launched the space age.
“Like Goddard, you have persevered,” said Leshin, reminding the graduates they not only withstood the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when they arrived on campus in the fall of 2020 but also have a college degree that can never be taken away from them.
Others receiving honorary degrees included retired U.S. Navy officer Michelle Howard, the first woman to become a four-star admiral and first African-American woman to command a Navy ship. Howard wasn't in attendance and received the honorary in April. The Rev. Paul F. Harmon, a former Holy Cross administrator during its transition to coeducation, also received an honorary degree.
This was Holy Cross’ 178th graduating class, and each graduate had a story to tell. Michelle Cepeda, a 21-year-old from Providence, is the first in her family to earn a college degree.
"It’s quite powerful. I feel on top of the world,” said Cepeda who wore several sashes that hung over her graduation gown, including one that identified her Dominican heritage. “I did this for my mom,” said Cepeda, mentioning that her mother, Luisa Cepeda, immigrated from the Dominican Republic and was in attendance to witness her daughter’s milestone.
Riley Peck grew up in Paxton, population 5,000. She needed to spread her wings and she “found herself” at Holy Cross, she said.
“I’ve met people here from different walks of life. It’s been really great."
A psychology major, Peck said she’s interested in potentially pursuing a career in public health or going to law school. “I’m proud of what (the Class of 2024) accomplished, but I’m sad to leave my friends and I’m excited for what’s to come."
Kevin Hamilton, who said during his valedictorian speech that he knew Holy Cross was for him as soon as he finished a tour of the campus when he was in high school, left his fellow graduates with a parting message.
“You’ve left a collective legacy that will be remembered for years to come.”
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.
Holy Cross graduates from Central Mass.
Rigoberto Alfonso, of Leicester
Misk Aljeboure, of Worcester
Daniel Bango, of Worcester
Josiah Bargmann, of Worcester
Emma Barry, of Westminster
Jordyn Brown, of Milford
Christina Bui, of Auburn
Levi Cass, of Westborough
Michael Cavanaugh, of West Boylston
Kyra Ceryanek, of Princeton
Joshua Choi, of Shrewsbury
Christopher Clark, of Harvard
Kelsey Connor, of Webster
Amelia Conte, of Worcester
Androniqi Danga, of Worcester
Brian Davenport, of Worcester
Will Donahue, of Southborough
Jennifer Dooley, of Millbury
Elyse Duff, of Shrewsbury
Regan Flanagan, of Worcester
Kaylee Fradsham, of Oxford
Julienne Frasch, of Berlin
Aaron Georges, of Worcester
Liam Gill, of Sutton
Isaiah Gomez, of Worcester
Kristina Hekkala, of Ayer
Jacob Hendricks, of Shrewsbury
Matthew Lawrence, of Worcester
Tan Le, of Worcester
Kirsten Letourneau
Isabelle Lindhurst
Alexandre Lopes-Gomes
An Ly, of Worcester
Liam Martin, of SterlingChristopher Mathewson, of Worcester
Joseph McCarthy, of Shrewsbury
Kevin Nguyen, of Worcester
Jack Ostrosky, of Holden
Tarynn Pacheco, of Worcester
Riley Peck, of Paxton
Mary Powell, of Worcester
Amanda Quintino Dos Santos, of Westborough
Adam Ramondo, of Southborough
Mikaela Renaud-Lowther, of Worcester
Declan Roche, of Westborough
Azka Tanveer, of Worcester
Lane Torosian, of Leominster
Foley Williams, of Worcester
Francisco Zafon-Whalen, of Worcester
Sophie Zahariadis, of Worcester
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: College of the Holy Cross holds graduation with 751 receiving diplomas