By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
ST. BONAVENTURE — President Jeff Gingerich told members of the Class of 2024 they were “the toughest class in St. Bonaventure history” at Sunday’s 164th Commencement in Reilly Center.
In his welcoming address, Gingerich referred to the challenges from COVID-19 restrictions the freshmen students faced in 2020 pandemic.
“Passing that rigorous test will serve you well when life serves you a curveball,” said Gingerich, who is serving his second year as university president. “You always have a home at St. Bonaventure.”
In her Student Address, Maya Henderson, who received a Bachelor of Arts in the Arts and Sciences Department, acknowledged “We took a risk by attending university in person” during the pandemic.”
Henderson said, “Just like our class, St. Bonaventure is special. St. Bonaventure has taken each of us a step closer to our destiny.”
There were 400 undergraduate degrees and 302 graduate degrees conferred by Gingerich.
The university also graduated its inaugural class in the Master of Public Health program in the DePerro School of Health Professions. It is named for the late Dennis DePerro, the university’s 21st president, who died March 1, 2021 in Syracuse of COVID-19 complications.
Gingerich presented to Fr. Kevin Mullen, OFM, the former Provincial Minister of Holy Name Province, a Doctor of Humane Letters. He is a former member of the university’s Board of Directors, retiring in 2023.
Keynote speaker Ed Bastian, the chief executive officer of Delta Airlines and a 1979 St. Bonaventure graduate, told the graduates “You are stepping into a world that needs you more than ever. This is your time.”
Bastian guided the airline through COVID-19 without discharging employees. The airline went from record profits in 2019 to losing $100 million a day for months, he said.
“Crisis reveals character and character matters,” he said. “We stuck to our values. We did not furlough a single employee.”
Bastian told the graduates, “The most important thing you have is your good name,” adding they should protect their brand. “Make learning your life-long pursuit.”
He said, “Forty-five years ago when I was in your seat, I had never set foot in an airplane. I’m still not done learning.”
The Delta executive gave the graduates several valuable bits of advice.
- Don’t underestimate the power of confidence and strength.
- It’s OK to fail. How people handle failure is a test of character.
- The value of teamwork.
Bastian credited the success at Delta with “our ability to work cohesively as a team.”
Bastian told graduates, “You also will be served well by the Franciscan values that are the foundation of our St. Bonaventure education. In the years since my own graduation, I’ve always felt driven to put people-focused values at the center of everything I do. That mindset was forged right here at Bona’s.”
His parting words to the grads: “When you go, be sure to fly Delta.”
Provost Dr. David Hilmey, who conferred awards, noted the international flags that stood behind the podium represented university students from 18 countries.
Degrees were conferred on graduates from the university’s five schools: Arts and Sciences, Jandoli School of Communications, School of Education, School of Business, and DePerro School of Health Professionals.
Lt. Col. John E. Luckie, chair and professor of Military Science, recognized Gavin Piskutz and Daniel Schiffhauer as distinguished military graduates of the St. Bonaventure ROTC program and announced their commissions as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.
A light drizzle didn’t keep parents and siblings from meeting up with the graduates for photos outside the Reilly Center after the ceremony.
