2021 Speeches and Media

President Favazza, Abbot Mark, the Benedictine community, faculty and staff, friends and families, and my fellow classmates of the class of 2021. Good morning.

If you attended the A360 retreat freshman year you received one of these (hold up key chain). An A360 key chain with the emblem of a compass on it. Now, if you are like me, you have carried this key chain with you for a significant amount of time around the Hilltop. Think about the different points on this compass and the many different directions it possesses. Every compass has a north point. This part of a compass is its true north, and it is a fixed point because it never moves. It is stable and reliable. The true north in many of our lives is right here. Saint Anselm College.

Now think about how you ended up where you are right now. What got you here? Maybe for you it wasn’t this key chain I have with me here today or anything to do with a compass, but whatever it is remember it, because it brought you here. Being from California myself was an added challenge when I first arrived on campus. Nonetheless, I persisted and found my place here on the Hilltop. What got me here and kept me in the place I call my home away from home was the outward love I felt when someone would hold a door for me, listening to Fr. Mathias’s homilies at Wednesday night masses, seeing a smile on a prospective student’s face while giving a campus tour, sharing laughs with fellow classmates in the Student Engagement office, reflecting with friends in campus ministry, and so much more. This all can be summed up into one word for me: community.

Over these four years I have come to understand the nature of this pilgrimage we all have journeyed on. When thinking about a moment that got me where I am today, I think of an impactful experience I had at this year’s senior retreat. About 30 seniors gathered in the lower church and listened to a reflection given by campus minister, Joycelin Raho. Joycelin started this reflection by having us close our eyes and told us to picture ourselves going on a hike on a beautiful summer day through the woods. She said that during the hike the well-groomed and well-marked path suddenly became rockier and more difficult slowing us down.

As Joycelin read this I began to look back on times of trial and doubt I have experienced here at Saint A’s, and I invite you to do the same: maybe it was that exam you did poorly on even after endless hours of studying in the library, maybe it was running out of Dav money before the end of the semester, maybe it was the sports injury you suffered that ended your season, maybe it was losing a loved one or a personal struggle with family and friends, the social and racial injustice that the entirety of this world has been confronted with this past year, or maybe it was our perseverance as an entire Saint Anselm College community through the COVID-19 pandemic and needless to say COVID-19 brought much pain and suffering to this community and communities throughout the world. Even if you have had an easier year, the suffering the world has endured is tumultuous.

Personally, my doubt stemmed from a night I shared with a few friends in Brady Hall during our sophomore year. I walked into my friends room and they knew something was not sitting well with me. We all proceeded to sit in a circle on the floor and share how anxious we were about our futures. I remember being so lost and thinking I had no direction in this moment. Nothing to guide me or point me in the right direction. Except maybe this (hold up compass). With the help of my friends, I was able to rediscover where my true north was.

After the rocky path and steep incline, Joycelin assured us in her meditation we would eventually make it to the peak of our climb. The peak of the climb is comfortable, clear, and more beautiful than we could have ever imagined, much like it is here on the Hilltop. As she said this I pictured the countless memories from these past four years: battling for that last cup of frosting at the annual gingerbread house contest, the unbelievably amazing Christmas feast dinner, Ingrid from Davison putting a smile on your face after a long day, watching friends walk 130 miles in honor of 9 charities from Lewiston, Maine to campus, ketchup dispensers magically disappearing from Coffee Shop, Service and Solidarity trips: where students travel throughout the U.S. in search of love, companionship and kinship with different communities, all-nighters filled with buffalo chicken calzones and Coffee Shop ranch, wobbling with fellow orientation leaders, Relay For Life, and our own personal and unforgettable memories we have made with roommates and friends.

This morning my fellow classmates we are on the Hilltop. It’s comfortable. It’s stable. The view from where I am standing is beautiful. In a few hours we must leave the peak of our climb and begin our descent down. And on the way down we will stumble and worry over which path we should take. Will we take that job or internship? What institution will we pick for grad school? Or will we take on the challenge of doing a year of service? Where does your compass point? Hesitant and unsure, we will take the path that we feel called to. The path may bring us to the comfort of familiar shade or to greater uncertainty, just like when we began our journey towards Saint Anselm.

My hope for all of us is that rays of sunshine come through the trees and land on all our shoulders; that familiar voices of friends we laughed and cried with remain with us, reminding us of the joy we experienced here on the Hilltop. And that we encounter new voices and faces we never imagined. If there is anything that these past four years have taught me it is this: the journey is difficult and at times uncertain, but it in the end it is worth every mile.

Thank you to faculty and staff who supported us in our educational dreams, thank you to the monks for opening your home and showing us the meaning of hospitality. Thank you all for reminding us where true north is. And thank you to family members for showing us constant love and support and thank you to my fellow friends and classmates for showing me what it means to be a part of an Anselmian family.

There are 460 paths that came into Saint Anselm College and 460 paths will lead away from campus this afternoon, 460 journeys that will make an impact on the world that stands before us. As we begin the start to our new adventure let us remember the direction and path that Saint Anselm has led us in and the foundational values that make us so wonderfully prepared to leave our imprint on this world. May we be guided by the footsteps of past Anselmians to help us find our new home. (hold up compass) And may we always carry a compass that leads us back to the Hilltop. All my blessings and Godspeed in your next adventure class of 2021. Thank you. 

Dear Graduates,

Ok, this is an interactive commencement address.

English majors, raise your hands.

If you have read anything by Thomas Sternes (T.S.) Eliot, keep your hands up. If you have seen the Mississippi River, keep your hands up.

Ok, those whose hands are still up, come on up and give this address. Hold on: just kidding. I wouldn't want you to show me up.

T.S. Eliot is one of the major 20th century poets. Before he move to England at age 25, he was born in St. Louis, MO. reminiscing about his life later, he said this:

"There's something in having passed one's childhood beside the Mississippi River that is incommunicable to those who have not. I consider myself fortunate to have been born here, rather than in Boston, New York or London.”

Like T.S. Eliot, I was also born along side that mighty, wild river about 400 miles south of St. Louis in Memphis, TN So even though I was not an English major (let's hear it for History and Theology majors), I have had an long affinity with him given our common river.

This wandering river of an introduction is to share with you a few lines of a poem Eliot wrote as a part of his "Four Quartets," four long poems for which he won the Nobel Prize in literature. The last poem, "Little Gidding," was written in 1942 and is animated by Eliot's experience of the bombing of London during WWII.

Eliot muses over the idea of endings and beginnings. Here are his words:

What we call the beginning is often the end

And to make an end is to make a beginning.

The end is where we start from….

With the drawing of this Love and the voice of this Calling

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

Commencement. To commence. To begin. But wait a minute: aren’t we marking the end of something here today? Throughout this week, as i looked out of my office window unto this sacred quad, I have seen groups of students in cap and gown taking pictures with our beloved St. Anselm. while most of the faces were happy (made happier by the bottles of champagne that sometimes accompanied them), I also saw sadness. The beginning is often the end.

But the end is where we start from. It is from here that we commence. We may think that it is too early to commence, that we didn’t have enough time, that darn COVID interrupted our plans to squeeze every ounce of experience out of the hilltop, that I am not ready to take the next step. What is next?

Ready or not, the exploration now commences. And guess what? No one knows where the exploring will end as Abigail just reminded us. As an example, a friend once reflected to me that if Jesus had graduated college, and if the college tried to track his outcomes after college, he was a total failure. No job, homeless, hanging out with low-lifes, and eventually convicted of a capital crime that cost him his life. No college would highlight him on their glossy magazine. No college would invite him to be a commencement speaker. Yet, he was the most consequential human being in human history. He listened to the voice of his calling and he gave himself over to love without limit. No matter your faith, you have to admit that he was not afraid of doing the hardesting thing we can do: knowing our calling and act on it.

Now you begin your next step, your exploring. You ask: Where will I go? How will I live the good life? In What will I believe? Whom will I love? When will I have a sense of accomplishment? If you were facing these consequential questions without the benefit of a St. A’s education, god help you. Fortunate for you, you have acquired the vastly underutilized skill of reflection. I admit: You may not use this skill for a bit (Right parents?). But two years, five years, ten years down the road, you will reflect on your transformation on the hilltop. You will ask: not only what is your net worth, but what is worth doing? Not only what makes me happy, but what can i do to bring happiness to others? Not only what sustains me, but what is sustainable in this fragile world we live in? No matter how great a scientist, business person, or educator, you will come back to these questions. And yes, this is where your exploration will lead you back to where you commenced. Lead you back to this sacred quad.

And you will know this place as if for the first time. It may be hard for you to imagine since you think you know this place now, but trust me, you will know it again once you have tasted more of life. One day you will return for a class reunion, or to bring a friend or a child to an admission event, or pick up a poem like “Little Giddings” and be reminded of a professor who pushed you harder than you thought possible. In that moment, you will know Saint Anselm in a whole different light. It will be more than just friends hanging out together, or good food at the c-shop, or surviving COVID together. It will be more, much more. Just as the monks have discovered their forever home on this hilltop and vowed never to leave it, you have discovered your forever home and, I hope, vow to never leave it behind.

Just as that mighty river where T.S. Eliot and I passed our childhoods wildly pushes its banks and refuses to be tamed, may your exploration push you always toward to the wildest and most untamed thing we know: love. Love is not only our calling, it is our destination, even destinations that are dangerous or surprising. Love does not always mean safe and cozy.

So are you make this end in order to make a beginning, don't be sad. It must be this way as you begin your exploration with all of the tools Saint Anselm College has given you. It will be hard, you will make bad decisions, you will get hurt, and you may be tempted to give up or despair. But you have a calling. It will lead you if you listen, reflect, and yes, love. And eventually, you will know this place again... for the first time.

Congratulations, graduates!

It is with quite opposite feelings, feelings which compete with one another in our minds, and in our hearts and souls, that we come to these final days of our senior class’s leave-taking of this very special school. For Saint Anselm College has been not simply an institution of learning, but rather, a place in your life unlike any other. During these last four years on this campus, each of you has worked hard at extending your knowledge, while also concentrating on an area of study you have chosen as special to yourself. You have in these eight semesters experienced new and subtler insights into the things of life, you have endured and overcome difficult moments, and you have known times of great achievement, celebrating them with much joy with good friends, to be recalled together, weeks, and even decades later. Did you ever imagine when you sat on this lawn nearly four years ago, that you were about to meet some of the very best friends of your life? Their presence and friendship have already shaped you in ways you may not fully realize, and their influence will continue to guide and support you all the days of your life.

How appropriate for you, as a class-soon saying good-bye to one another, are the readings of today’s Mass of the Ascension, the feast which recalls Jesus taking his leave of those who had followed him, and trusted him, hoped in Him, and loved Him. Christ it was whose death had shattered them, and whose resurrection had thrilled them, and changed them forever. Now He was leaving them to return to the Father. It was a time of sad separation. But it was as well a time of growth. For it was a separation that made possible the sharing of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit bestowed on the disciples new gifts, of speech, and courage, and fidelity, to equip them and strengthen them for the work ahead.   

In our first reading, Saint Luke, writing to his friend Theophilus, begins the book of Acts by saying: “In my first work I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he ascended.” Luke proceeds to write about the implications for the disciples, of Jesus’ life and work after His ascension. Luke makes it clear that Jesus did not abandon his followers but instead provided, by his own leave-taking, the possibility for the gift of the Holy Spirit, by whose inspiration and support they would live out every remaining day of their lives.

It is certainly our hope that at this Catholic institution you have had abundant exposure to the message and life of Jesus Christ, just as Saint Luke described in his gospel and shared with his friend Theophilus. You have been provided this message both through what is taught here, and by the example of those who live and work here. We pray that you find compelling what you have been offered in the classrooms, dorms, and playing fields, and in the interaction with all who have made this journey with you. We hope and pray as well that you have had experiences, especially those of faith, that build even greater connections with all that you have studied here.

Saint John Henry Newman insisted that knowledge is about the pursuit of truth, rather than convenient or expedient application. True education, Newman states, is liberal education. It is not about utilitarian knowledge, but about philosophical education. According to Newman, this philosophical knowledge seeks the following:

“To open the mind, to correct it, to refine it, to enable it to know, and to digest, master, rule, and use its knowledge, to give it power over its own faculties, application, flexibility, method, critical exactness, sagacity, resource, address, eloquent expression.”

This is what we have wanted your Saint Anselm College education to do for you.And it is none other than our patron, Saint Anselm himself, a brilliant student of philosophical knowledge, who suggests that we begin all inquiry from the foundation of faith. For Saint Anselm, it is always faith seeking understanding. We begin with what we believe to be true. We then look at all things in the light of that truth in order to reach a fuller, richer, and more profound understanding of all that there is to know.

Saint Paul found the gospel story so compelling that it turned his life upside-down. He came to live by, and hope in, a new reality. In knowing Christ, he changed from a persecutor of the faith, to one persecuted for the faith.  Paul’s new faith led to an inevitable clash with those who believed differently than he, and led him ultimately to shackles and chains. He writes: “I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling you have received.” Paul reminds his friends that each has been given different gifts, but that each, using humility, gentleness, patience, and trusting in the Spirit, is to take up his given vocation and let all one’s words and deeds build up the body of Christ, until, Paul writes, “we all attain the unity of faith.”

In our gospel today, Jesus very last words to his disciples include this instruction, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Worthy advice then, and worthy advice today to any of you who have grasped and accepted the faith that undergirds what Saint Anselm College represents to the outer world. We are an enclave of faith searching for understanding. If you accept this guide of “faith seeking understanding” provided by Saint Anselm 1,000 years ago, then hold on to all you have learned here, come to understand it in light of the gospel message, and go forth from this campus and offer that message by the words you speak, and the lives you lead, to everyone with whom you will live and work, and recreate, and with whom you will labor to create a better world. May God guide and bless you all.

The following seniors have been inducted into Tau Chapter, Delta Epsilon Sigma, National Scholastic Honor Society:

Oleta M. Andros
Abigail S. Borroto
Nichole D. Bourque
Ashley M. Budd
Theresa R. Castro
Casey S. Cavanaugh
Isabella M. Cipriano
Emily M. Coderre
Emily D. Cormier
Julianna M. Corsetto
Brodie S. Deshaies
Meghan H. Donohue
Meagan N. Dubois
Janelle E. Fassi
Jessica M. Georato
Sarah M. Geraghty
Meghan E. Greeley
Grace D. Guachione
Reegan K. Hussey
Katherine E. King
Kerry A. McGillicuddy
Marissa L. Moorhead
Hannah M. Mullane
Rachael K. Nelson
Connor L. O’Brien
Maggie R. Parisi
Ashley Pimentel
Joseph W. Venuti
Jacob A. Yanski

The following seniors have been inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta, National Honor Society for First-Year Success:

Luke Anastasiades
Oleta M. Andros
Sara E. Anoli
Hannah C. Beaudry
Nicole T. Blathras
Nichole D. Bourque
Emma G. Browall
Alexa M. Carpenter
Isabelle H. Carr
Casey S. Cavanaugh
Isabella M. Cipriano
Emily M. Coderre
Emily D. Cormier
Julianna M. Corsetto
Zachary T. Covelle
Kelsey J. Czarnota
Abigail J. Donnellan
Meghan H. Donohue
Colleen M. Enestvedt
Janelle E. Fassi
Sophia M. Forte
Emily R. Gaumond
Grace D. Guachione
Jacob M. Halterman
Stephen K. Hanabergh
Skyler R. Hickey
Gisselle P. Howe
Reegan K. Hussey
Allison A. Irish
Declan R. Kiley
Julia J. Laenen
Erica A. Lazarek
Maddison R. Leite
Audrey M. McDonough
Christopher P. Millett
Victoria E. Mirabito
Marissa L. Moorhead
Jenna D. Morrison
Hannah M. Mullane
Rachael K. Nelson
Abigail R. Paci
Jennifer C. Peel
Parker A. Petruney
Joseph W. Pollard
Ian A. Read
Alyssa D. Redington
Madison R. Rennie
Elizabeth S. Rizk
Brayden H. Rollins
Nicole H. Sherwood
William A. Small
Ashley N. Stewart
Jillian E. Sweeney
Katherine L. Warth
Olivia M. Whalen
Nicholas J. Whitney
Grace Q.Q. Wirein

The following seniors have been inducted into Sigma Alpha Pi, the National Society of Leadership and Success:

Luke Anastasiades
Rileigh C. Armstrong
Nichole D. Bourque
Trent E. Briggs
Caroline M. Butts
Abigail A. Campbell
Theresa R. Castro
Casey S. Cavanaugh
Isabella M. Cipriano
Madelyn J. Cleary
Bailey C. Conti
Julianna M. Corsetto
Meredyth C. Curtis
Victoria N. DeFabritiis
Abigail J. Donnellan
Meghan H. Donohue
Phillip J. Dragone
Meghan E. Greeley
Cathryn P. Griffin
Grace D. Guachione
James M. Hanron
Skyler R. Hickey
Reegan K. Hussey
Katherine E. King
Andrew J. Martone
Meaghan S. McCabe
Victoria E. Mirabito
Quinn P. Mitchell
Rachael K. Nelson
Kelly A. Quirk
Ian A. Read
Elizabeth S. Rizk
Caroline M. Rohan
Eva-Maria H. Rudler
Nicole H. Sherwood
Joseph W. Venuti
Bentley P. Warren
Olivia M. Whalen
Lindsay R. Yurek
Caroline A. Zacharchuk

The following seniors have been inducted into Alpha Chapter, Chi Alpha Sigma, National College Athlete Honor Society:

Grace D. Guachione
Allison A. Irish
Beanie A. Luttig
Abigail P. Murrell
Payton Wildrick

The following seniors have been inducted into Chi Zeta Chapter, Beta Beta Beta, National Biological Honor Society:

Abigail S. Borroto
Isabelle H. Carr
Isabella M. Cipriano
Lili H. Gately
Reegan K. Hussey
Katherine E. King
Anne H. MacLeod
Ashley Pimentel
Nicole Scarfo
Alexandra K. Schumaker
Meghan M. Smith
Dayton A. Tetley
Caroline J. Thompson
Kyle C. Welsh

The following seniors have been inducted into Gamma Chapter, Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Honor Society for Economics:

Shane R.A. Correale
Abigail J. Keiver
Maddison R. Leite
Abigail P. Murrell
Connor L. O’Brien
Brayden H. Rollins
Christopher W. Wright
Jacob A. Yanski

The following seniors have been inducted into Sigma Beta Delta, International Honor Society for Business, Management and Administration:

Ashley M. Budd
Zachary T. Covelle
Meghan H. Donohue
Grace D. Guachione
Alex J. Rodolosi
Matthew A. Ward
Nicholas J. Whitney

The following seniors have been inducted into Alpha Eta Mu Chapter, Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education:

Abigail S. Borroto
Colleen M. Enestvedt
Tia M. Pisano
William A. Small

The following seniors have been inducted into Sigma Omega Chapter, Phi Alpha Theta, National History Honor Society:

Sara E. Anoli
Jordan J. Cook
Brodie S. Deshaies
Nelson T. Gibb
Maria Gregor
Declan R. Kiley
Christopher P. Millett
Nicole H. Sherwood
William A. Small

The following seniors have been inducted into Kappa Epsilon Chapter, Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society:

Emily D. Cormier
Ian A. Read

The following seniors have been inducted into Omicron Rho Chapter, Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society:

Emma G. Browall
Bailey C. Conti
Elizabeth A. Fennell
Grace D. Guachione
Alyssa D. Redington

The following seniors have been inducted into Epsilon Tau at Large Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing:

Oleta M. Andros
Jordyn O. Arnott
Jordan A.H. Bergeron
Nichole D. Bourque
Molly R. Bright
Emma G. Browall
Bailey C. Conti
Julianna M. Corsetto
Kelsea J. Czarnota
Abigail J. Donnellan
Emily R. Gaumond
Audrey P. George
Sarah M. Geraghty
Meghan E. Greeley
Cameron R. Kurkul
Julia J. Laenen
Kerry A. McGillicuddy
Hannah L. Moody
Marissa L. Moorhead
Jenna D. Morrison
Hannah M. Mullane
Emma J. Murphy
Taylor J. Pacheco
Maggie R. Parisi
Kelly A. Quirk
Natalie E. Rogers
Emily J. Ryan
Erica A. Sherman
Megan K. Slaney
Hannah C. Steinaway
Jillian E. Sweeney
Allison I. Verge
Molly A. Weaver
Olivia M. Whalen
Caroline A. Zacharchuk

The following seniors have been inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics Honor Society:

Lili H. Gately
Joseph A. Letendre
Nathan M. Letteri
Andrew P. Ortiz

The following seniors have been inducted into Upsilon Lambda Chapter, Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society:

Haley M. Bragdon-Clements
Shane R.A. Correale
Sophia M. Forte
Angela P. Garozzo
Jacob M. Halterman
Jackson P. Heath
Jeffrey D. Illsley, Jr.
Jenifer E. Wallitsch

The following seniors have been inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology:

Theresa N. Beardsley
Janelle E. Fassi
Jessica M. Georato
Allison A. Irish
Erica A. Lazarek
Tia M. Pisano
Alyssa D. Redington
Vanessa M. Sicard Vasquez
Lian X. Smithers
Rebecca E.M. Spaulding
Ashley N. Stewart
Grace Q.Q. Wirein
Travis A. Zuchowski

The following seniors have been inducted into Pi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society in Social Sciences:

Sara E. Anoli
Caroline M. Butts
Casey S. Cavanaugh
Shane R.A. Correale
Brodie S. Deshaies
Janelle E. Fassi
Nelson T. Gibb
Maria Gregor
Jackson P. Heath
Jeffrey D. Illsley, Jr.
Audrey M. McDonough
Brayden H. Rollins
William A. Small
Rebecca E.M. Spaulding
Clarisse A. Sugar
Joseph W. Venuti
Katherine L. Warth
Jacob A. Yanski

The following seniors have been inducted into Alpha Lambda Psi Chapter, Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology:

Emily D. Cormier
Nelson T. Gibb
Jacob M. Halterman
Timothy S. Holmes
Stephen G. Lynch

Father Stephen F. Parent, O.S.B. Award, Delta Epsilon Sigma, Tau Chapter

Delta Epsilon Sigma, the National Scholastic Honor Society for Catholic Colleges and Universities, annually presents an award to that senior who best typifies the excellence of mind and concern for others which characterized Father Stephen, a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey, and founding member of the Tau Chapter in 1940.

The Father F. Stephen Parent Award is presented to:  Ashley M. Budd

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Award

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology award is given by the Department of Biological Sciences to the senior biochemistry major who has demonstrated through superior work in the classroom and the laboratory clear potential for undertaking advanced study and contributing significantly to the field of biochemistry as a teacher or research scientist.    

This year the recipient is:  Isabelle H. Carr

Craig S. Hieber Award in Biology

The Department of Biological Sciences has established the Dr. Craig S. Hieber Award in Biology in memory of an excellent teacher and dedicated scholar.  The award is given to a major in the Biological Sciences who reflects Dr. Hieber’s passion for biology, scientific inquiry, and community service.

This year the recipient is:  Reegan K. Hussey

American Institute of Chemists Award

This award from the Massachusetts Institute of Chemists, a division of the American Institute of Chemists, is given each year by the faculty of the Chemistry Department to the graduating senior who, on the basis of a “demonstrated record of leadership ability, character, and scholarly achievement,” has shown potential for advancement in the chemistry profession.

This year the award is presented to:  Madison R. Rennie

Forensic Science Award

This award is given each year by the faculty of the Chemistry Department to a graduating senior who has a demonstrated record of academic excellence and significant professional potential in the field of forensic science.

This year the Forensic Science Award is presented to:  Caroline M. Butts

Father Richard F. Clavelle, O.S.B. Award in Classics

The faculty of the Classics Department has established an award in memory of Father Richard Clavelle, a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey, long-time professor, and chair of the department.  The award is presented to the Classics or Classical Archaeology major who has demonstrated a mastery of Classical philology, as well as an appreciation for the material culture, literature, art, and history of the Greeks and Romans.

This year’s award is presented to:  Rachael K. Nelson

Father Ralph G. Cinque, O.S.B. Award in Computer Science

The faculty of the Computer Science Department established the Father Ralph Cinque Award in memory of Father Ralph, a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey who was instrumental in initiating the Computer Science program at the College. The award is given to a student majoring in Computer Science who has distinguished himself through a combination of academic achievement and service to the department.

The Father Ralph Cinque Award is presented to:  Stephen G. Lynch

Captain Martin A. Murphy Award in Criminal Justice

In 1978, the London Metropolitan Police of Scotland Yard, established the Captain Martin A. Murphy Award. This award is presented annually to an outstanding criminal justice student who has exhibited high levels of academic achievement, departmental service and civic engagement. This student exemplifies the Anselmian commitment to service, community and justice and serves as a model for future justice professionals.

The Criminal Justice Award is presented to:  Casey S. Cavanaugh

John F. Romps Award in Finance

The faculty of the Economics and Business Department presents the John F. Romps award to the senior Finance major who has achieved the highest GPA in the major.  The award is named for emeritus professor John Romps, for many years a faculty member and chair of the Economics and Business Department, who was instrumental in establishing a finance major within the department.

This year, the John F. Romps Award in Finance is presented to:  Joseph W. Pollard

Philip J. Shacklette Award in Economics and Business

The faculty of the Economics and Business Department annually presents the Professor Philip J. Shacklette Award to the student who has achieved academic excellence while making an outstanding contribution of service to the Department and to the College.

The award is presented to:  Meghan H. Donohue

Elementary Education Teacher Candidate Award

This award is given to the teacher candidate in elementary education who has demonstrated academic and teaching excellence and has contributed to the college community.

The Elementary Education Teacher Candidate Award is presented to:  Theresa R. Castro

Sister Christopher M. Weber, O.S.B. Secondary Education Teacher Candidate Award

The Sister Christopher Weber, OSB, award is given in honor of Sister Christopher Mary Weber who served the college for 36 years in various positions in the Education Department, including department chair until her retirement in 2008.  This award is given to the teacher candidate in secondary education who has demonstrated academic and teaching excellence and has contributed to the college community.

This year’s recipient is:  Christopher P. Millett

Edward J. Comiskey English Prize Volume

The faculty of the English Department annually award the Edward J. Comiskey

Prize Volume, to be given to an English major whose contribution to the department and participation in the cultural and intellectual life of the College reflect Professor Comiskey’s legacy of community leadership and love of the arts.

The recipient this year of the Edward J. Comiskey Prize Volume is:  Nicole H. Sherwood

Father Jude J. Gray, O.S.B. Award in Communication

The faculty of the English Department has named an award for the Communication Major in honor of Father Jude John Gray, a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey and a long-time professor of public speaking and oral interpretation at the college.  The Communication faculty of the English department give the award to the top senior in the Communication major.

This year the award is presented to:  Alexa M. Carpenter

John Julian Ryan Award in English

The faculty of the English Department annually choose the senior English major whose love of literature and achievement in the major reflect the devotion to literary studies of John Julian Ryan, former professor in the English Department. 

The John Julian Ryan award is presented to:  Julia S. Rourke

Fine Arts Department Award

The Fine Arts Department award is given to the senior Fine Arts major, who has demonstrated excellence in one of the fine arts emphasis areas -- art history, studio art, or music-- during his/her four years at Saint Anselm College.  This recipient has also contributed to the advancement of the department and demonstrates promise for continued contribution in the field of fine arts.

This year’s award is presented to: Rachael K. Nelson

History Major Award

The History Department presents its senior History Major award to the student who has achieved academic excellence in the major, shown a deep interest in multiple fields of history, and engaged in thoughtful discussion of history both within and outside the classroom.

This year the award is presented to both:  Christopher P. Millett and William A. Small

American Studies Major Award

The History Department presents its senior American Studies Major award to the student who has achieved academic excellence in the major and demonstrated a deep interest in and mastery of the disciplines that constitute the major.

This year the award is presented to:  Katherine L. Warth

French Major Award

A book award from the Modern Languages and Literatures Department is presented to the senior who has achieved the highest grade point average as a French major.

This year the award is presented to:  Emily D. Cormier

Teresa Méndez-Faith Spanish Major Award

This award is presented to the senior who has achieved the highest grade point average as a Spanish Major.  The award is named in honor of Professor Teresa Méndez-Faith, who for 30 years dedicated herself to Saint Anselm College as a mentor to both students and faculty.

This year the award is presented to:  Braina M. Ruiz-Palma

Mary R. Bruton Nursing Leadership Award

The Department of Nursing annually presents a Leadership Award to recognize superior academic achievement and leadership qualities in one of the Nursing students. The award is named to honor Dr. Mary R. Bruton, former faculty member, chair and director of the Nursing Department, and former Assistant Dean of the College. 

The Mary R. Bruton Nursing Leadership Award is presented to:  Emily R. Gaumond

Peace and Justice Studies Major Award

This award is presented to a senior who demonstrates a commitment to social justice and has achieved academic excellence as a Peace and Justice Studies Major.

This year the award is presented to:  Emily M. Coderre

Joseph B. MacDonald Award in Philosophy

The Philosophy Department recognizes a Philosophy major who has exemplified the values which Dr. Joseph B. MacDonald manifested in his teaching career at Saint Anselm:  Love of learning and humility of spirit in the pursuit of philosophical wisdom.

This year the recipient is:  Laura E. Santer

Robert J. Goulet Award in Physics and Engineering

The Robert J. Goulet Award in Physics and Engineering is bestowed upon that graduating senior who shows the kind of integrity, compassion, and commitment to hard work that characterized Robert J. Goulet, longtime chair of the department of Physics and Engineering.

This year the award is presented to:  Joseph A. Letendre

Barbara Sundberg Baudot Award in International Relations

The faculty of the Department of Politics give an award to a senior who has demonstrated a record of superior academic achievement and initiative in the study of International Relations.  The Award is named for Professor Barbara Sundberg Baudot, a long-time faculty member and chair of the Department of Politics who designed the international relations major and served as a mentor to students and faculty at Saint Anselm for many years.    

This year the award is presented to:  Jacob M. Halterman

Politics Department Award

The faculty of the Politics Department give an award to a senior who has a demonstrated record of superior academic achievement in the field of politics.

The award this year is presented to:  David J. Micali

Richard F. Hechtl Award in Psychology

The faculty of the Psychology Department have established the Richard F. Hechtl award in honor of the founder and former chair of the Department.  The award recognizes a Psychology major’s accomplishments in scholarship and her striving for fulfillment of her human potential as exemplified by the life of Richard F. Hechtl.

The Richard F. Hechtl Award in Psychology is presented this year to: Grace Q.Q. Wirein

Francis P. Poissant Award in Sociology

The Francis P. Poissant Award for academic achievement in Sociology is donated by the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Poissant in memory of their son, Francis.  The award goes to the Sociology major, distinguished by academic excellence and service to the Sociology Department.

The award is presented to:  Audrey M. McDonough

Daniel F. Forbes Award in Social Work

The Daniel F. Forbes Award for academic achievement in Social Work is presented in honor of Dan Forbes, a long-time faculty member in the Sociology & Social Work Department who created the Meelia Center for Community Engagement and was pivotal to the launch of the social work major at Saint Anselm College.  The award goes to the social work major distinguished by academic excellence and a record of effective and compassionate service to those in need in the community. 

This year the Daniel F. Forbes award in Social Work is presented to:  Casey S. Cavanaugh

Theology Department Award

The Theology Department gives an annual award for academic excellence in theological studies.

This year the award is presented to:  Timothy S. Holmes