Crystal Chojnowski '24 Addresses Student Body at 2024 Commencement

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed faculty, Fr. John, proud family members, and my fellow graduates, as we gather here today on this momentous occasion, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and accomplishment. We stand at the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Today, we celebrate not only the end of our journey at Stonehill College but also the beginning of a new chapter in each of our lives. And before I babble up on this stage to you, I will do my best to keep this speech shorter than the Gigi’s line. 

First and foremost, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate the fact that we sit here today with our cap and gown. The day we have been waiting for has finally come. Who would’ve thought that when we first stepped onto this campus, we’d be facing down a global pandemic? I mean, they said college would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I never thought they meant it quite this literally. But here we are, the Class of 2024, the survivors of the sweaty Courts, the Commons, blinding neon green parking tickets, and expected, but unexpected, WiFi shortages. 

In all seriousness, these past four years are something I have never been more thankful for and will never forget. Coming into Stonehill during the midst of a pandemic, it left a lot of room for uncertainty. All of us were extremely unsure about how our lives would be for the next four years, asking ourselves, “Are we going to have to do Zoom classes until our graduation?” “Are we going to have to wear masks every time we step out of our room?”, and personally, the most important question, “Are we even going to get a graduation?”. And clearly the answer is yes, we finally get the graduation we deserve and have all been waiting for. 

Reflecting on my past four years at Stonehill College, I’d like to recognize the most important things I have learned within my wild ride of college. 

Standing here in this moment, it feels weird to say that were about to receive our diplomas, because I swear yesterday, I was driving into campus for the first time admiring all the orientation leaders chanting and screaming “welcome to Stonehill” and was sitting out on the Quad with my Orientation group. With this said, time is fast. Within our time here, I can confidentially say that we have all at least said once, “I am so excited to graduate.” Though we did have those days where we wanted nothing more but to move into the real world, there’s something about the memories we’ve made and the niche Stonehill Colleges moments that makes things a little more memorable. Like waiting in the Dunkin line on Sunday morning with our friends or walking around campus when our class got out a little early, maybe celebrating the small wins and moving on from the small losses with ourselves or our friends in our dorms or booking a study room until midnight and cramming in the homework we should’ve gotten done a week ago. Or pounding on the door of a Courts house until someone answers to let you into a sweaty Courts party, or sitting on the Quad when the weather was just right or wandering around Meehan to find a spot to hang out, even simply walking to class and running into your friends when all you would rather do is talk our ears off. What is special about Stonehill is that we had the opportunities to do these things. Yes, you could probably do some of these things at other colleges, but Stonehill is like no other. There’s no other place where you could sled down Donahue on a snow day, or go to Brother Mike's on a Thursday, or even jump in the O'Hara pond at 1 a.m. 

A question I think about often, which I want you all to ask yourself is: are you the same person you were when you stepped onto campus? From the first moment you walked on campus, did you step off today, in our caps and gowns, the same person? I can tell you the person standing here right now was not the same person I was freshman year. That’s the best part about Stonehill and the experiences we get to live through here: growth. I don’t mean to make this extremely sappy but think back to a moment where you felt happy for your own self, something you achieved at Stonehill that nothing could ruin your mood. Maybe you won a game you thought you were going to lose or finished a paper you were dreading for weeks or finally got close with more friends that you never expected to get close to. What I’m trying to say is you accomplished something at Stonehill and created moments you never thought you would. These moments and memories all started with Stonehill, and though the day we’ve been eagerly waiting for is here, cherish the memories you hold, good and bad, because you never really realize what you have until it's gone. 

So, here’s to us, Class of 2024. Though we say goodbye to our journey at Stonehill today, let us never forget the values instilled in us here. Let us remember that as we are moving into the next chapter of our lives, although our time has come to an end, we will forever be connected by the shared experiences and unforgettable memories of our time here. It’s only going to get better from here. Congratulations, Class of 2024. Thank you.