WANTAGH, NY — Molloy University celebrated commencement Monday, giving over 1,000 graduates the chance to accept their degrees after years of hard work in a ceremony at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater.
The ceremony marked the conferral of 703 bachelors degrees, 295 masters and 30 doctorates, with students walking across the stage to accept their diplomas with the Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean in the background.
When asked how they felt about graduating, multiple students expressed some excitement at what might come next. Among them was Oceanside native Cadence Calderone, who transferred to Molloy for the final three years of school. In Calderone’s view, graduation day represented a bittersweet turning of the page.
“I spent my three years here, met so many people, and the friends…made college such a great experience,” Calderone, a biology major, said. “So, I’m so sad to leave them, but I’m also ready to go. I feel prepared, I’m excited, hopefully I don’t fall on the stage.”
For one of her biology classmates, Franklin Square’s Selin Kahyaoglu, the chance to walk across the stage was a source of pure excitement.
“I’m really excited; we’ve been working really hard, we’ve all been in so many classes together, struggling, so we’re really excited to finally accept that diploma and feel like we’re doing the next step,” Kahyaoglu said.
For Molloy president Dr. James Lentini, a different word could be used to describe Monday’s festivities: Triumphant.
“This is always a triumphant day, and even better that it’s here, at an iconic Long Island location where we can all celebrate,” Lentini said. “We hear a lot about challenges for new graduates, but our students have studied in practical fields, and they always find success when they leave us.”
Lentini marked the triumph with a special rendition of Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life),” where he accompanied Molloy CAP21 theater graduates on acoustic guitar. The university president was followed by commencement speaker and honorary doctorate recipient Jo Napolitano, a former New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday journalist who’s currently reporting on student opportunity and equity at The 74.
After Napolitano, it was East Rockaway native Isabella Schaefer’s turn at the microphone. Schaefer was speaking as the valedictorian of the class of 2026, while Hicksville’s Grace Wilson was the salutatorian.
According to Molloy officials, there were no better students to represent the school or its student body on such a special day.
“Isabella and Grace represent the very best of Molloy University,” Molloy vice president for academic affairs and provost Dr. Michelle Piskulich said. “Together, they embody the spirit of service and purpose that defines Molloy University and will undoubtedly inspire our graduates as they step forward into lives of impact and meaning.”
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