Quinnipiac University Confers 810 Degrees

HAMDEN, Conn. – Adele Merritt, chief information officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, encouraged 701 graduates of the School of Business and 109 graduates of the School of Computing and Engineering at Quinnipiac University on Saturday to step confidently into their own careers during a warm and welcoming Commencement address.
With more than 20 years of expertise in support of cyber and national security, Merritt has thrived in a career that demands a profound sense of purpose, service and discretion.
“Your resilience means you have a plan to achieve your dreams that will withstand life’s hiccups,” said Merritt. “Build on today’s achievement. Have confidence that you will succeed, even when the unexpected happens.”
As the mother of two Quinnipiac graduates, the moment and the magnitude of Commencement was not lost on Merritt, a former national security fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.
“Remember, not every inspirational event happens on a national stage at the conclusion of the season,” Merritt said. “Sometimes, the most challenging and inspirational part of the journey is finding the self-confidence to take the first step, to ask the first question, to make the first introduction. All of today’s graduates are an inspiration.”
“As you step off this campus and into your next adventure — whether it is a job, continued graduate school or military service — your community will expand,” Merritt vowed with clear certainty. “Remember to continue to look around you and offer a hand to help others along their journey.”
Merritt also managed to channel Dr. Seuss and his wisdom as part of her remarks.
“Now, you are part of the group who make that first step to meet others where they are,” she told the Class of 2024. “Oh, the places we can go with you making that first step.”
President Judy Olian observed the same potential and promise from behind the lectern on the Mount Carmel Campus Quad.
As she looked upon the assembled graduates, Olian said she saw the trailblazers of tomorrow, the change leaders in finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, engineering, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and computer programming.
The rewards and merits of a Quinnipiac education, after all, are meant to positively impact the world as well as the lives of others.
“You’ll carry with you the life experiences of the last few years that have shaped you into the person you are today and have exposed you to innovative ways of thinking, to different ideas, to different people and cultures,” Olian said. “And that person you’ve become — who appreciates ... and seeks to bridge those differences — you’re the person the world needs today.”
Olian explained that mission statements are more than a directive for the Quinnipiac community. They are a pathway to global change.
“We say in our mission statement that our aspiration for our graduates is that they leave us as ‘enlightened global citizens equipped for careers of the future.’ Our fervent hope is that over the last few years — every person you interacted with — every teacher, peer, adviser, coach, Quinnipiac alumnus — prepared you for the inevitable accelerating changes in your chosen career, and also for the capacity to be an enlightened, respectful, and curious listener,” Olian said.
“Those are values that have never been more important for the life you are preparing to embark on, for the connected communities we need to build, live in, in which to raise our families,” she said.
Emily Balboni, who earned her Bachelor of Science, represented the School of Computing and Engineering as its student speaker.
“When we look back at our time here, we are not going to remember that unfortunate engineering economics exam that we all bombed or the public safety parking ticket we got,” Balboni said. “Instead, we are going to remember the nights playing manhunt in CCE, the ping-pong battles and SWE trivia with LEGO prizes. And, to our professors, thank you for believing in us, more than we did, at times.”
Saliba Kaoud, represented the School of Business as its student speaker. He also represented the university’s commuter students.
“Quinnipiac is a melting pot, with students coming from a multitude of unique backgrounds,” Kaoud said. “Despite the different majors, ages, professions and more that encapsulate the Quinnipiac student body, the university does an amazing job in making us all feel as though we are part of a greater whole.”
“It doesn't matter if you're a commuter, a veteran or even a professional coming back to obtain an academic degree,” he said. “Everything about the School of Business inspires a sense of camaraderie that is encouraged and meaningful, allowing for a truly fulfilling college experience.”
After Provost Debra Liebowitz began the proceedings with the call to Commencement, Kelly A. Blitz, sang the national anthem before thousands of parents, family members and friends on the Mount Carmel Campus Quad.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Jeanna Doherty welcomed the Class of 2024 into an alumni community of more than 70,000 members around the world, with a reminder that a Quinnipiac education is a relationship that lasts a lifetime.