{"id":101879,"date":"2025-04-30T13:20:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T13:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=101879"},"modified":"2025-05-14T13:13:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T13:13:35","slug":"commencement-2025-student-speakers-named-for-college-graduation-ceremonies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/commencement-2025-student-speakers-named-for-college-graduation-ceremonies\/","title":{"rendered":"Commencement 2025: Student speakers named for college graduation ceremonies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 April 30, 2025 \u2013 Among the numerous speakers graduates will hear from during the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s spring commencement weekend, none may be more meaningful to them than those who have shared the journey with them, literally or figuratively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last spring, as the University rolled out a new commencement format instituting individual ceremonies for each academic college, student speakers were included in each commencement, sharing their individual, and often universal, experiences. This month \u2013 as 溏心vlog免费B站 celebrates the achievements of about 3,300 graduate and undergraduate degree recipients \u2013 student commencement speakers will again be a big part of the pomp and circumstance in the eight ceremonies during commencement weekend, May 16-18<\/strong>. All ceremonies will be held in the Ryan Center on the Kingston Campus.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This spring\u2019s student commencement speakers are: Puja (Diya) Banerjee, Lucia Caito, Colby Constantine, Jennifer Melgar, Klara Nelander, Lauren Peckham, Joceline Rodrigues, Sarina Thapar, and Helene Tjoumakaris.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Helene Tjoumakaris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Helene Tjoumakaris,<\/strong> a nursing major from Egg Harbor, New Jersey<\/strong>, will address the first celebration of the weekend\u2013the College of Nursing commencement at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 16. After graduation, Tjoumakaris will return home to take the National Council Licensure Examination and start her job as a trauma ICU nurse in Atlantic City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAddressing my fellow graduates is both an honor and a privilege,\u201d she said. \u201cEach of us has our own story of how we chose this path and I am grateful to have been chosen to share mine. Nursing school challenged us and brought us together, and I\u2019m proud to celebrate all we\u2019ve accomplished as a class. As someone who grew up doing theatre, it feels like a full-circle moment to be ending my academic career on stage with a speech.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lucia Caito<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Lucia Caito<\/strong> of East Greenwich, Rhode Island<\/strong>, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in human development and family science, will address the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony on May 16 at 2 p.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re graduating college at a time marked by great unpredictability and rapid change. As we approach this threshold, I want my fellow graduates to feel committed to listening to others with empathy,\u201d said Caito, who will pursue a master\u2019s degree in couple and family therapy next fall at 溏心vlog免费B站.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lauren Peckham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On Saturday, May 17, Lauren Peckham<\/strong> of East Haddam, Connecticut<\/strong>, will address the College of Health Sciences ceremony at 9 a.m. Peckham, who graduates with honors while carrying majors in psychology, criminology\/criminal justices, and political sciences, will attend Quinnipiac University School of Law on full scholarship after graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis chance to address my fellow graduates is more than just giving a speech\u2013it\u2019s an opportunity to share the wisdom passed down to me by the incredible mentors and people who\u2019ve shaped my journey,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a chance to carry forward the lessons I\u2019ve learned, especially from Maureen McDermott, whose impact on my life continues to guide me. It\u2019s also a moment to encourage reflection: to inspire my peers to pause and appreciate how far they\u2019ve come and to honor the people and experiences that helped them get there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jennifer Melgar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Jennifer Melgar<\/strong> of Providence<\/strong>, who majored in elementary education with minors in psychology and human development and family science, will address the Feinstein College of Education ceremony at 2 p.m. After 溏心vlog免费B站, she will go on to teach in elementary school and pursue a master\u2019s degree in human development and family science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGraduation to me is a declaration of possibility. It\u2019s proof that despite every obstacle, I belong in this space,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a promise to my students that their identity is something to be celebrated, not hidden. When I walk across that stage, I am walking not just for myself, but for every child who\u2019s ever felt unseen in the classroom. I\u2019m walking as a multicultural educator who is committed to building bridges, breaking barriers, and being the kind of teacher I once needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Joceline Rodrigues<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Joceline Rodrigues<\/strong> and Puja (Diya) Banerjee<\/strong> will each address the commencement for the graduates of the College of the Environment and Life Sciences and the Graduate School of Oceanography on Saturday at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodrigues of Norwich, Connecticut,<\/strong> a first-generation student who immigrated to the U.S. from Praia, Cape Verde, majored in biology and sociology and graduated with honors. After time off, she plans to apply to medical school. But first, she will use her gap years to gain research and clinical experience while traveling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGraduation for me is powerful. I am doing something my mother didn\u2019t have the opportunity to do,\u201d Rodrigues said. \u201cGraduating for me is showing that hope can take you far. My mom immigrated from Cape Verde as a single mother with four children at age 38. She was constantly faced with barriers. For me, getting up on that stage isn\u2019t just me graduating, it\u2019s the manifestation of my mother\u2019s sacrifices. It is also the manifestation of the love that the rest of my family has poured into me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Puga (Diya) Banerjee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Banerjee, who is from Agartala<\/strong>, a city in the Indian state of Tripura, will be graduating with a Ph.D. in oceanography from the GSO, and plans to pursue a career where she can apply her research, data analysis, and project management skills beyond academia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says graduation is the culmination of years of hard work, resilience, and constant pursuit of knowledge. \u201cAlthough it certainly feels like a sudden void, especially when you\u2019ve been working towards a goal for so long, it also gives us the courage to step into new challenges and embrace new dreams,\u201d she added. \u201cGraduation reminds us that every ending is also a beginning, filled with new opportunities to redefine ourselves and our paths.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n

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Klara Nelander<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Klara Nelander<\/strong> of Malmo, Sweden<\/strong>, who is graduating with a degree in finance while also playing on the 溏心vlog免费B站 tennis team, will address College of Business graduates on Sunday, May 18, at 9 a.m. She plans on taking a gap year to \u201cexplore the different areas of finance and travel\u201d before applying to graduate school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving the opportunity to address my fellow graduates is super exciting and truly an honor,\u201d said Nelander. \u201cMy time at 溏心vlog免费B站 has shaped me into the person I am today, and being able to share some of the things I’ve learned feels like a way of giving back to a community that has meant so much to me. Coming in as a freshman four years ago, I never could\u2019ve imagined myself doing this today, and I’m hoping to inspire everyone that you\u2019re truly able to do anything you set your mind to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sarina Thapar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Sarina Thapar<\/strong> of Monroe, New Jersey<\/strong>, who will graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, will address the College of Pharmacy ceremonies on Sunday at 1 p.m. After graduation, she will join Cencora as a pharmacovigilance, epidemiology, and risk management specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGraduation is a time to celebrate and reflect on all our hard work throughout the sleepless nights, years of dedication to our studies, and creating lifetime friendships,\u201d said Thapar. \u201cI hope everyone listening to my speech can take away that this is just the beginning. The path to learning is never-ending. Health care is ever-evolving, and we are the backbone of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Colby Constantine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On Sunday evening, Colby Constantine<\/strong> of Leicester, Massachusetts<\/strong>, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering with a minor in pharmaceutical manufacturing, will speak to College of Engineering graduates at 5 p.m.  After graduation, he will pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware, with plans to become a research and development scientist focusing on the next generation of therapeutics that can reach currently untreatable diseases by overcoming the limitations of current drug-delivery technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGraduation is a celebration of growth, whether that be academic, personal, and\/or professional,\u201d he said. \u201cIt represents not only the culmination of years of hard work, but also the start of a journey where we get to use our skills to make a real difference in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Commencement Weekend or to view a full schedule of ceremonies, visit: uri.edu\/commencement\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 April 30, 2025 \u2013 Among the numerous speakers graduates will hear from during the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s spring commencement weekend, none may be more meaningful to them than those who have shared the journey with them, literally or figuratively. Last spring, as the University rolled out a new commencement format instituting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":101882,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101879"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102188,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101879\/revisions\/102188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}