May 22, 2023
President James Lentini, D.M.A., Spring 2023 Commencement Address
Greetings to our families, friends, and graduates of the class of 2023! It is both exciting and humbling to be presiding over this event with you today as the 7th President of Molloy University, given our journeys together over the past few years to be in this Coliseum at this moment. And to you, our students, in addition to the challenges of studying for classes and dealing with the regular ups and downs of life in college these past few years, most of you were with us as we navigated a pandemic that turned the world upside down and changed the way we live and learn. So, for all of that, truly, congratulations. I think you’ve proven that you have the grit and determination to succeed at just about anything you decide to pursue.
Let me say up front that you are a special class, as you are absolutely the first Spring semester graduates from our institution to be receiving a diploma from--not Molloy College--but Molloy University! Congratulations!
So now you enter a world where new adventures await, as many of you will begin new jobs or pursue an advanced degree, beginning a new phase in your lives. I’m going to ask you to get ready for the surprises that await. You don’t know what they are, and neither do I, except I know they will be there. How do I know? Well, in my own life, I can look back and trace so many things I would have never seen coming. People often figure, for example, that it must have been my plan all along to become a college president. Not so. As a teenager I was making recordings with a rock band in Detroit where I grew up and had my sights set on moving to Los Angeles to become, you know, a rock star. High ambitions. I made it a long way with that band, but the surprises and opportunities kept coming. My love for music and academics led to college scholarships I didn’t see coming and eventually I did move to Los Angeles--not for rock ‘n roll—but to earn a doctorate in music composition from the University of Southern California, where, by the way, I met my wife, Dana. Funny how it all works out.
Looking back, I could never have imagined the career ahead of me as a university music professor and administrator. But the lesson is this: embrace the opportunities you never saw coming! When one pursuit doesn’t work out, it may be a great blessing. Instead of considering such things as failures, those things that don’t work out are often the important course corrections required to put you on a better path—the one that is meant for you.
There will be many wonderful surprises, but there will also be challenges that may require you to dig deeper into the resilience and critical thinking skills you turned into an art form during your time at Molloy. Because something that is no secret is that Molloy students are well-educated, can think on their feet, and are well-prepared for anything that may come their way.
Just reflect on the experiences you’ve had since you first arrived at Molloy and all that has taken shape. Your first year, many of you probably wondered if Molloy would ever feel like home. Now you may have a feeling that it’s so much like home, you’d rather not leave (mom and dad don’t worry, we’re sending them home with you today no matter what). You’ve made lifelong friends, learned new things, and have professors who will be lifelong mentors. I’ve met a surprising number of graduates from Molloy who I now call “Molloy Mergers.” Yes, these are students who met each other at Molloy who ended up married. So, look around the room, folks, your future spouse may be in the house.
And Molloy graduates become outstanding employees in our hospitals, schools, and businesses, not to mention those who grace the stages of Broadway. Some of you may go on to study further and become doctors, lawyers, and fill many other professions in our society. You’ll all be entering a world where fellow Molloy graduates will welcome you in a successful network of alumni who help each other.
While we rightly bask in the accomplishment you so richly deserve to enjoy today, let us also think about the world you are entering, where political polarization, intolerance, war, and gun violence are sadly a part of our everyday headlines. The world is desperately calling on you to bring empathy and compassion into the world based on our strong values as a Catholic University in the Dominican Tradition. Our mission of study, spirituality, service, and community, with respect for each person, is more needed now in our world than ever. You are the hope for our future.
Finally, I am excited to celebrate you, the Class of 2023, for your accomplishments. We embrace you as a part of our ever-growing family, and we look forward to watching both you and our university forge the next chapter of our lives together. Congratulations, graduates, and Go Lions!