NDNU’s 171st Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 6th, was an especially inspirational event. On a slightly rainy, but otherwise perfect morning, nearly 400 faculty, staff, family members, and friends gathered to celebrate the 84 students receiving credentials and master’s degrees.

“Today is a proud day for you and for Notre Dame de Namur University,” said Sr. Jean Stoner, Chair, NDNU Board of Trustees. “For 172 years this university has educated women and men of excellence, integrity and service. Today, it is you, our newest graduates, who make us proud. We trust that the core values we share – living with integrity, serving a diverse community with excellence, and working for peace and justice – will continue to motivate your actions and relationships.”

“Today, we are all assembled to celebrate your achievements and wish you well as you pursue the careers in which you invested so much of yourselves, your time and talents, over the last few years,” said NDNU President Beth Martin in her opening remarks.

She continued, “This is not the conclusion nor end of your learning, but the launch of all your future life-long pursuits. You are now better equipped and prepared to change our world – to change YOUR world. We all look forward to seeing the changes you will make as you go out into the world to make a difference.” 

Additional highlights included the following:

Adili Skillin, whose aunt, Veronica Skillin, served as College of Notre Dame President from 1980 to 1994, gave an inspirational speech about transitions, connections and growth. His speech reflected on his long history with the University and its positive influence on his life. Skillin also offered his own personal story of transitions and growth, which ultimately led him to finding his passion as a high school teacher for children with behavioral challenges. “I believe that education is a great gift. But the truth of the matter is: you are the gift to this world. And for each heartbeat that you have, there can be a monumental transition for you to reshape the world.” See below for more excerpts from Skillin’s heartfelt speech.

Cassie Lipowitz, Dr. Michael Drexler, and Dr. Stephanie Demaree were honored with this year’s George M. Keller Teaching Excellence Award. This award was established in 1995 to honor excellence in teaching at NDNU. Faculty members are nominated by students in each school, and the award recipient is chosen by a selection committee including previous winners.

City of Belmont Mayor, Julia Mates, presented two awards for outstanding community service and leadership to Monica Pinkard and Alexandra Rodriguez in recognition for their “spirit of volunteerism and leadership which are aligned with core values of what Belmont celebrates.” Both recipients embody NDNU’s Hallmark of community engagement every day, and they encourage and inspire others to follow suit.

This year’s commencement speaker, Yanyan Lu, shared her transformation from a successful software engineer to a caring psychotherapist.  She noted how the ongoing support from fellow classmates, NDNU faculty and staff were instrumental to her achievements. “In my program, I was exposed to a wide range of subcultures. It was eye-opening to learn about my fellow classmates’ struggles, whether as minorities or as immigrants. I aim to leverage my multicultural background to support my future clients and contribute to the diverse Bay Area community.” See below for more excerpts from Lu’s inspirational speech.

Following the awarding of degrees and credentials, the NDNU community gathered for a lovely reception greeted by sunny skies!

Congratulations to the Class of 2023!