Snapshots of an Unforgettable Day
Endicott's 84th Commencement is more than a degree-conferring ceremony; it welcomes parents and family members from near and far, notable speakers who impart wisdom for a complex world, as well as alumni. Commencement is a meaningful and festive day meant to be cherished by all who attend, especially the Class of 2024. But among the fanfare are the smaller, personal moments of joy and connection—here’s just a sampling of those moments.
A love story at the Nest
After Commencement, graduates land jobs, ascend in their careers, and many marry their college sweethearts. It’s a tale as old as time.
Getting married while in college, though? That’s quite rare.
But lovebirds Hannah Evans ’24 and Austin Evans ’24 married their junior year and will celebrate one year of marriage this June.
“We met our freshman year and lost connection,” recalled Hannah, who hails from Jaffrey, N.H. “Then we met again sophomore year and started chatting again and never stopped talking.”
Hannah, who will graduate with her bachelor’s degree in nursing, is headed to Raleigh, N.C., to work at Duke University Hospital’s Cardiac Center. Meanwhile, Austin, an interior architecture major from White River Junction, Vt., didn’t have any trouble landing a job as a commercial designer for Creative Business Interiors in North Carolina, which is a hotbed for design, furniture, and textiles.
Though they have bright futures ahead, they’ll miss the good times at the Nest, including residing in separate residence halls from her spouse. “I was in Standish; he was in Williston,” she said. “We had a lot of sleepovers. We made it work.”
The couple will both miss their professors and their friends. “I’ve met all my people here,” said Hannah. “And I’ll miss the beach. Of course, people will say that, but I’ll really miss the beach.”
Preparing the future for a culturally diverse world
After graduation, education major Emily Amaral ’24 won’t be taking a much-needed rest—she’ll be headed to South Korea with her church for an education-based mission trip to help children with their English literacy skills.
When she’s back stateside, Amaral, who is from Framingham, Mass., by way of Brazil, has a job lined up as a third-grade dual language teacher in her hometown. For her, it’s a culmination of her life’s work, including the internships she undertook at the Nest.
“I love being able to educate the future generation and prepare them to become more immersed in this culturally diverse world,” she said.
“The professors at Endicott always pushed me to work to my best capability and they really inspired me to continue to educate others,” she continued. “Especially Professor [Lynne] Stasiak—she was the person who pushed me to work harder and she really inspired me.”
Inspiring leadership through transformational learning
Amaral also acknowledged that she’ll miss the community once she flies the Nest, and Zachary Rosen ’24 shared that exact sentiment when he graduates from Endicott.
“Being in a smaller school, you get to know a lot of people in your grade, your level, so I’ll miss seeing them every day,” said the Potomac, Md., native.
It’s a familiar story that Gulls report time and time again—smaller school, tighter-knit community. But that means it’s just more emotional to leave a place—and people—that comes to feel like a second family and home.
When looking for a college, Rosen wanted an institution north of Boston because he had family in the Marblehead, Mass., area. He chose an education major because growing up, he had inspirational teachers that made a big impact on him and inspired him to enter the same field.
“I felt like I could make learning a very fun experience like the experiences I had growing up,” he said.
Now, with his degree in hand, Rosen isn’t done yet. He plans to take summer courses just down the road at Salem State University and will likely enroll in graduate school in the fall.
Rosen is just one of the many graduates flying the Nest who are advancing Endicott’s mission to inspire leadership through transformational learning every day.