2010 Commencement
05.16.2010
LONGMEADOW, Mass.—On Sunday, May 16, Bay Path College held its 113th Commencement exercises, awarding 572 degrees to traditional undergraduates, One-Day-A-Week Saturday Program undergraduates, and graduate students from the Graduate School and Bay Path Online, the College’s distance learning center offering graduate degrees and certificates. In addition to presenting graduates with their respective degrees, the College bestowed honorary degrees upon three distinguished community leaders: Helen Davis Blake, a western Massachusetts philanthropist; James W. Coghlin, Sr., chairman and coach of Coghlin Companies, Inc.; and Yankee Candle Company, Inc. Founder and Chairman Emeritus Michael J. Kittredge, who delivered the keynote address.
The Commencement ceremony featured class speakers from the College’s three schools. Christine Hollingworth of Lenox, MA, a business major, delivered the traditional undergraduate address, while Kelly Frye of Bloomfield, CT, gave the undergraduate address for the One-Day-A-Week Saturday Program. Malden, MA resident and Burlington Campus graduate in the Master of Science in Education/Special Education Program Kathleen Warton presented the address for The Graduate School.
Several graduates were honored during Commencement for their academic achievements. Bay Path College’s prestigious Eagle Award was presented to Cristina Ruiz of Waterbury, CT. Ruiz, who graduated Magna cum Laude, was selected from the Class of 2010 as the graduate who had a significant impact on the Bay Path community by exhibiting an overall positive attitude and demonstrating leadership in campus activities and athletics, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5. Established in 2007, the Eagle Award is sponsored by the Rev. Dr. Enzo V. and Mrs. Mary Lou DiGiacomo.
The One-Day-A-Week Saturday Program recognized three graduates from the Longmeadow, Central Mass, and Burlington campuses with the Carpe Diem Award. Presented to One-Day-A-Week Saturday Program graduates Jessica Duga of Enfield, CT, Caryl Rice of Gilbertville, and Danielle Lemay of Methuen, respectively, the Award is given to those who have demonstrated academic excellence with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, community involvement, and leadership.
Lemay was also selected as this year’s recipient of The Pathfinder Award. Bestowed upon a One-Day-A-Week Saturday Program graduate, the Award honors a woman who has achieved academic excellence with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5, while balancing family, career, and community service responsibilities. Lemay has demonstrated leadership, compassion, perseverance and integrity, and Bay Path recognizes her as a role model for all adult women, who dream of graduating from college.
