Commencement
Celebrating the Class of 2024
At a time when mental health and loneliness have been identified as a national epidemic, that was the message that Framingham State University keynote speaker Dr. Alicia Moreland-Capuia — a trauma specialist at McLean Hospital — delivered to FSU graduates during a packed ceremony at the DCU Center in Worcester in May.
“I also want you to know that your pain matters, your purpose matters, your joy matters, your hope matters, your dreams matter,” Moreland-Capuia told the graduates toward the end of her speech. “I am literally changing the world with love, and I invite you to do the same. You are bright, you are loved, you are beautiful, you matter.”
Framingham State conferred 552 bachelor’s degrees during the ceremony as well as an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Moreland-Capuia for her years of dedication to reducing human suffering.
President Nancy S. Niemi with keynote speaker Dr. Alicia Moreland-Capuia.
During the ceremony, the President’s Medal was also awarded to Dr. Roberta Ward Walsh ’66, a retired college professor and longtime supporter of FSU. She and her late husband, Richard J. Walsh, established two scholarships at Framingham State that support students.
Two days earlier on May 17, the University celebrated 282 master’s degree recipients during its graduate ceremony in the FSU Athletic and Recreation Center.
Keynote speakers Allison ’01 and Ryan McKeen ’01, who both went on to become attorneys, spoke about the uncertainty of change and the importance of relying on the people who care about you.
“So, when you are stumbling, consider leaning on the people who have held you up as you walked along this particular path,” Allison McKeen told the graduates. “Throughout all of the sacrifice and long hours of your education, someone has cheered you on. They are precious, and they are key to keep perspective.”
Check out highlights from the 2024 undergraduate Commencement ceremony!
