Zachary Ennis ’08 Salutes the Class of 2022
The Alumni Council vice president addressed graduating seniors at Commencement.
Good morning. It is my distinct honor to be the first to greet each of you as fellow Stonehill College graduates. On behalf of the 70 classes who have graduated before you, I offer you, the graduates of the Class of 2022, congratulations and a warm welcome to our Alumni Association! Many of these alumni are in attendance today and I now invite them to stand and be recognized.
Today, you, the members of the Class of 2022, join an Alumni Association comprised of over 29,000 individuals who also stressed over final exams, career choices, and the future. I guarantee that you will meet some of these alumni in the future; whether it be at a job interview, in a parent/teacher conference, at a reunion, or, I hope, at one of the many alumni events Stonehill hosts. I know that you will be greeted with a bright and excited “You went to Stonehill too?” and for a second, you will be right back here on campus.
Many of these alumni will tell you that their life’s journey differed from what they expected when they received their degrees. I encourage you to embrace the change that will come your way because it will open the doors of possibility.
As a graduate, you are now an ambassador of what a Stonehill education produces. Respect that, honor that, treasure that, and always remember your roots. Be proud of your time at Stonehill, share it with others in the future, and think about how you can pay it forward to those who will one day be students on this campus.
When I graduated from Stonehill in 2008 - I never dreamed that I would one day serve as Vice President of Stonehill’s Alumni Council and address you, the graduates, at Commencement. Being an active alumnus has provided me tremendous opportunities and a personal sense of fulfillment. Stonehill has always held a special place in my heart. Each time I come on campus, especially this morning, I get that feeling of coming home. I hope that this will be the same for all of you and that you will come home often.
When you arrived on campus four years ago, you became part of Stonehill’s family as students…today we welcome you to the Stonehill alumni family.
On behalf of the Alumni Association I wish you a bountiful future – wherever it may take you.
Thank you and congratulations Class of 2022!