May 27, 2022
Continuing education, graduate students recognized for perseverance at Class of 2022 commencement
By Vicki-Ann Downing ’21G
Providence College celebrated graduates of the School of Continuing Education and master’s degree programs with a commencement ceremony on campus in the Peterson Recreation Center on Friday, May 20, 2022. Hon. Maureen McKenna Goldberg, J.D. ’73, ’09Hon., justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, was the featured speaker.
Diplomas were awarded to 19 students who completed bachelor’s degrees through the School of Continuing Education in professional studies, liberal studies, leadership development, history, healthcare administration, theology, and social science, and to 235 students who earned master’s degrees through graduate programs in business administration, business analytics, education, history, and theology.
It was the second consecutive year that a separate SCE and graduate commencement was held. The undergraduate ceremony returned to the Dunkin Donuts Center in downtown Providence on Sunday, May 22, for the first time in three years.
At the SCE and graduate commencement, College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G asked the graduates to stand to acknowledge the role that their families, friends, and professors played in their academic achievement.
“It is not lost on me that the moment we just celebrated may be the most important part of this entire ceremony for many,” Father Sicard said. “Some of you have full-time jobs, some of you have families at home, perhaps with children, and some of you have responsibilities that you simply shoulder without complaint. While you have sacrificed much to get to this point, so have others, and they deserve to share in tonight’s celebration.”
Sean F. Reid, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, also congratulated students on their academic success and acknowledged the contribution of their supporters.
“This is a glorious day not just for graduates but for the many family members and friends who are here and watching these ceremonies online,” Reid said. “So much of what these graduates have accomplished is the result of the prayers, love, and support you have provided over the years. And for that the PC faculty, staff, administration, and community offer our most sincere gratitude.”
In her address, Goldberg also acknowledged the achievements of the graduates and paid special attention to the challenges faced by adult learners and graduate students, who earned degrees “in the upheaval of a global pandemic.” Their perseverance is testament to their singular dedication and strength of character, she said.
“Although none of us is versed in the details of your individual struggles or your successes, we know it was not easy,” Goldberg said. “To the women graduates — those of you who are wives and mothers, daughters of aging parents — there was no handbook available to guide you in reaching this achievement, just childcare, lunches, rides to school, and a mountain of laundry, all while you pursued a degree, and I commend you.
“To the husbands and fathers, often the primary earners in stressful jobs who are determined to get ahead through higher education, we congratulate you, who are often the unsung achievers in our community, who grab snippets of time to work toward the degree received tonight at great personal sacrifice. Your perseverance and determination is manifest in this accomplishment and I congratulate each of you.
“To those who followed immediately from college to graduate school, let’s have a show of hands here. I am so impressed that you would do that.”
Goldberg graduated from PC 49 years ago, in 1973, after arriving on campus in September 1971 with the first four-year class of undergraduate women as a transfer student from Salve Regina University. Her high school, St. Mary Academy – Bay View, was all female, as was Salve at the time, so she was used to women as class leaders, student-athletes, and faculty members.
“The fact that many considered the arrival of woman on campus at Providence College to be momentous, or that there may be competition between the men and the women, never occurred to me,” Goldberg said. “And when it finally did, I ignored it — and I have ever since.
“Later in life, when I came to realize that the path for woman was not always smooth or friendly as one would hope, I came to realize what a valuable lesson I received from our beloved alma mater.”
Goldberg, a graduate of Suffolk University Law School, joined the Rhode Island Superior Court as a judge in 1990. She was the fourth or fifth woman to be named to the court, with the first in 1956 and the second in 1969. When she joined the Rhode Island Supreme Court as a justice in 1997, she was only the third woman in 300 years.
“However, women now make up a majority of the Rhode Island Supreme Court,” Goldberg said. “We welcomed two women last year. One of them was my former law clerk of 20 years ago. There will soon be four women justices on the United States Supreme Court, and more women than men attend law school.”
During the 2021-2022 academic year, the college celebrated Then, Now, Next: 50 Years of Women at Providence College. Goldberg shared humorous accounts of her first year living on campus in Aquinas Hall, where a uniformed security guard was on duty in the lobby, the doors were locked at night, and every floor contained a room with ironing boards.
“We were baffled by this. In the early 1970s, we dressed in blue jeans, T-shirts, and sweatshirts just like you do today,” Goldberg said. “There was no irons and no ironing going on.”
Still, what she remembers most is how welcoming the Dominican fathers were, and how they greeted each woman by name; how beautiful the weather was in the fall of 1971, and how much she enjoyed the experience.
“That was 50 years ago. Time marched on. The issues were sorted. And this historic transformation to coeducation at Providence College has burgeoned and it is a stunning success,” Goldberg said. “I am proud to have been present at its inception and delighted that the school has recognized the significance of its 50th anniversary of welcoming women.
“And by the way, in 1973, Dave Gavitt, Ernie DiGregorio, and Marvin Barnes took the Friars to the Final Four. It was a helluva party.”
SCE students received their diplomas from Carmen Aguilar, M.Sc., dean of the School of Continuing Education. Brian McCadden, Ph.D., assistant to the provost for graduate programs, presented the candidates for master’s degrees. Diplomas were presented by Sheila Adamus Liotta, Ph.D., dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; Sylvia Maxfield, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business; and Yune K. Tran, Ph.D., dean of the School of Professional Studies.
Among those receiving degrees were the first 11 graduates of the college’s new master’s degree in business analytics program.
The graduates were welcomed to the alumni community by Stephenie Thompson O’Brien ’84, president of the National Alumni Association, whose son, daughter, and father are also Friars.
Most Rev. Robert C. Evans, D.D., J.C.L., auxiliary bishop of Providence, gave the invocation, while Rev. Justin C. Bolger, O.P., college chaplain, offered the benediction.
Grace Maffucci ’22 led the singing of the National Anthem and Daniel D. Strother Jr. ’22 sang the Alma Mater, with Joseph P. Genest ’22 conducting. Eric C. Melley, DMA, director of instrumental activities, conducted Providence College Symphonic Winds.
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