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