Saint Anselm College’s 132nd Commencement was held on Saturday, May 17, celebrating 459 students who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. During the ceremony, graduates were encouraged to use the values and lessons from their time on the Hilltop to better understand and, ultimately, change the world.
College President Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D. counseled graduates to understand, through forbearance, that everyone is shaped by their experiences, and that people look at issues from a particular place with a particular lens, that no one possesses the entire truth.
“As you commence from this Hilltop, I want to remind you that knowing and learning stuff is simply not enough. To live authentically in relationship with others, you must understand how you know and how others know, and allow that understanding to create some space for empathy especially for those who claim truths quite different from you own,” advised Favazza, Ph.D.
“If you can do this, success will find you and you will leave the world, just as you leave this Hilltop today, better than how you found it,” concluded Favazza. “Congratulations, Class of 2025. Go make the world better.”
The Commencement Exercises were held on the Alumni Quadrangle. Despite the weather forecast, there was a large and festive crowd of family and friends cheering for the graduands as their names were read by Dean Mark Cronin, Ph.D.; Dean Diane Uzarski, DNP, MPH, RN; and Professor Laura Wasielewski, Ed.D.
Four individuals who have distinguished themselves as nurses, journalists, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and humanitarians received honorary degrees during the ceremonies.
Pulitzer-prize winning writer Carlos Lozada delivered the commencement address, “How to Read Like a Human,” and received an Honorary Doctorate in Journalism.
“When we can feel our own fears – and our joys – in the lives of others who seem unlike us, we are touching something universal,” said Lozada. “If your reading leads you to ask, ‘I wonder what it would be like,’ then you’re doing it right. You’re reading like a human.”
Presenting his citation, Father Jerome Day, O.S.B. ’75 remarked that Lozada “is a truth-seeker in an age of misinformation and disinformation – an erudite whose work exemplifies the careful discernment, humility, and moral clarity that lie at the heart of a liberal arts education.”
Lozada has served as an opinion columnist at The New York Times since 2022. He previously was a senior editor and book critic at The Washington Post, where he was awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. His approach to both roles was clear in his address.
“Don’t read to affirm who you are; read to discover who you are, as a person, as a friend, as a citizen,” said Lozada, where he made the case for the importance of reading.
Lozada was born in Lima, Peru, and migrated to California with his family as a child. Lozada joined the University of Notre Dame faculty in 2009 as an adjunct professor for the Washington Program and taught a seminar on American political journalism.
“Treat your books like your friends. Bond with them and fight with them. Look for difference, not sameness. Make memories out of your books, visit with them again and again and again,” concluded Lozada. “After today, you’ll always be a Hawk. But a life of reading will make you fully human, too.”
Other honorary degree recipients included Dan Forbes ’81; Jim Masiello; and CAPT (Ret.) Monique V. Petrofsky ’83.
As the founding director of the Meelia Center for Community Engagement, Forbes remains a cornerstone of the college’s service work, having dedicated his life to empowering students and transforming lives both on and off the Hilltop. During his more than three decades, Forbes inspired countless Anselmians to embrace the values of compassion, service, and leadership, leaving an indelible mark on the college, the Manchester community, and beyond.
A visionary entrepreneur, philanthropist and community leader, the late Jim Masiello left a lasting imprint on the world. Masiello was a dedicated public servant with a track record of founding and leading multiple successful businesses. He deeply believed in supporting others and service to society. His son, Chris Masiello, received the HD for his father.
CAPT Petrofsky was recognized for her dedication to improving public health in some of the most challenging environments in the world. A nurse epidemiologist and Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), Petrofsky’s work in various countries throughout Africa has alleviated suffering, strengthened communities, and advanced the mission of global health.
The student speaker, Lindsey Dunn ’25, a nursing major from Milton, Mass., graduated Summa Cum Laude spoke about the ways they have changed over the past few years and encouraged them to never lose touch with the values they learned during their time at Saint Anselm.
“No matter how far away you travel from this quaint Benedictine college, bring your good life, your Anselmian values, with you,” concluded Dunn. “Involve yourself in your new communities. Radiate kindness. Show up for others. Hold the door for the person behind you.”
Abbot Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., the Chancellor of the College, then presented three students, Roman Gugliemo, a Marketing Major from Hampton, N.H., Christine Landry, a French and Environmental Studies Major in the honors program from Plymouth, Mass., and Megan Wozniak, a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major in the honors program from Melrose, Mass., with Chancellor’s Awards, each with grade-point averages of 4.0. This is the first time three students have shared the honor.
During the ceremonies, Professor Kevin Doran, Ph.D., presented the 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award to retiring English Professor Ann Holbrook, Ph.D. on behalf of the college’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Doran cited, “What stands out the most when you talk to students, alumni, and faculty about [her] is that [she is] an amazing educator. As one student puts it: ‘She wants every student to succeed and grow, and she will push her students to make sure that happens.’”
Hooding ceremonies for the college’s Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice and Master of Education in Special Education programs took place on the morning of commencement, with 15 criminal justice and four education students conferred degrees.
On the day prior to commencement, the Senior Honors Convocation celebrated the academic achievement of the class of 2025, with 16 awards going to individuals, along with the recognition of seniors inducted into 16 honor societies.
The Convocation was followed by the Baccalaureate Mass, with Fr. John Fortin, O.S.B. ‘71, delivering the Homily.
“There are times when that way forward for us will not be completely clear, when we will realize that to be truly fulfilled we will have to make some mid-course corrections, however difficult they may be,” said Fr. Fortin. “May your way forward bring you a life well-lived, a life of good choices, a life filled with the love and grace that come from Jesus Christ.”
Following the Baccalaureate Mass, a graduation celebration was held for six senior members of the Men’s Lacrosse Team, who left campus prior to Commencement to compete in the semi-finals of the NCAA Div. II national championship.
To read the full remarks of the commencement speakers, view photos and the simulcast of the event, go to anselm.edu/commencement.