STAC to Host 59TH Commencement on Friday, May 13TH

(SPARKILL, N.Y.—May 4, 2016) -- St. Thomas Aquinas College will host its 59th Commencement Ceremonies on Friday, May 13, 2016 on the College’s front lawn. Almost 350 students will be awarded Masters, Bachelor’s and Associate Degrees during the ceremony.

Daniel Glaser, President and CEO, Marsh & McLennan Companies, will give the Commencement Address to the graduates. Glaser is an insurance industry veteran who has held senior positions in commercial insurance and insurance brokerage, working in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. He will receive the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Tess McCormack-Raso, a long-time philanthropist and U.S. Air Force veteran, will receive the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. McCormack-Raso is a recipient of “Woman of the Year” awards from the Rockland County Republican Committee, American Heart Association, NYS Media, United Hospice of Rockland, Nyack Hospital, Helen Hayes Hospital and the Historical Society of Rockland County. She received the “Women Who Have Made a Difference” award from Nyack Hospital, Philanthropist of the Year award and was named “Outstanding Woman of Rockland County”.

Kristina Mathisen, President of the Student Government Association, and Sarah Montello, President of the Class of 2016, will also address the graduates.

Various student awards will include Class Service Awards; the Terence Cardinal Cooke Award will be given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding and meritorious service; the Francis Cardinal Spellman Award will be given to a student(s) for the highest academic excellence in the undergraduate program; the Sr. Regina Rosaire Dolan Award will be given to the student with the highest academic excellence in the Teacher Education graduate program. Christine Cahill, Esq., assistant professor of business administration, will receive the Trustees Award for Excellence.

Over 2,500 family and friends typically attend this annual event. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place in the Aquinas Hall Gymnasium and the audience will be limited to ticket holders for the indoor event with live streaming available in other locations on campus.

For further details about the Commencement Ceremony, contact Danielle Kobryn at 845-398-4016 or dkobryn@stac.edu or visit www.stac.edu/commencement-2016.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 60 acres in Rockland County, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.