17 Mansfield Residents Graduate from ECSU

This article was posted by Elyssa M. Millspaugh. It was reported and written by Read Media.

Eastern Connecticut State University's 123rd Commencement took place at the XL Center in Hartford on May 14. In all, 1,256 undergraduates and 41 graduate students earned their degrees.

Andrej Cavarkapa received a Master of Science degree in Secondary Education. Cavarkapa is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Amie Theriault received a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. Theriault is a resident of Mansfield Center, CT.
raduate students earned their degrees.

Kevin Chen graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. Chen is a resident of Mansfield Center, CT.

Lisa Drzewiecki graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Drzewiecki is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Zarghuna Ghafoor graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Earth Science and Management (Individualized). Ghafoor is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Ann Gueutal graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Business Administration. Gueutal is a resident of Mansfield Center, CT.

Jingjing He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He is a resident of Storrs, CT.

James Kissane graduated with a Associate of Science degree in Science. Kissane is a resident of Mansfield Center, CT.

Beth Lewis graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. Lewis is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Daniel Molloy graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Molloy is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Jacob Reilly graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. Reilly is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Nathan Ross graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Ross is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Allison Sewell graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Sewell is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Ashley Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Smith is a resident of Mansfield Center, CT.

Alicia Sprague graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. Sprague is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Casey Squier graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Social Science. Squier is a resident of Mansfield Center, CT.

Bowen Weyel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Weyel is a resident of Storrs Mansfield, CT.

Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest member of the "Little Rock Nine," gave the Commencement Address, telling the graduates, "This is your moment, a time you have been looking forward to and working toward since you first arrived at Eastern. Celebrate the moment; seize it. Step out into your future bravely and boldly." LaNier noted that the graduates were bound to encounter challenges. Those experiences will be "the greatest teacher in the grand classroom of life. Those challenges will show you who you really are." 

The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine African American students who desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, AR, in 1957. Due to the segregation policies of Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus and the mob atmosphere in Little Rock at the time, President Dwight Eisenhower ordered 1,000 members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division to Arkansas to provide protection and escort the nine students to class throughout the 1957-58 school year.

Despite the daily military escort, LaNier and her friends were kicked, hit with rocks, threatened, and shunned. Her own home was firebombed. As the onslaught continued, "the more determined I became to get my diploma." Today, she has "made peace with my past."

LaNier turned to the Class of 2013 and encouraged them to have the same commitment: "Finish whatever goals you have set for yourself. Find the strength, fortitude and determination to see it through. When you see injustice, how will you respond? I hope you take the heroic stand."

Eastern President Elsa M. Núñez told the graduates, "There is no other country in the world that places its future so firmly in the hands of the people. You are now the next generation of citizen leaders in our state and in our nation...the world needs your energy, your enthusiasm, and your skills. There is a challenge out there ready for you to conquer, whether it's helping out at your church or synagogue, volunteering at the local senior center, or inventing a new surgical procedure. There is a team somewhere that needs you to complete its mission."

Nana Owusu-Agyemang of Ghana, West Africa, delivered the Senior Class Address. She thanked the faculty for their support, saying, "During my time here at Eastern, I have met professors that I simply cannot forget - professors who really care for their students. It will forever strike me how much time professors at Eastern are willing to spend with each student...how much of themselves they give. It's not just the professors who make Eastern what it is. At Eastern it's not just about imparting knowledge, it's about joining hands to mold each student into a richer person academically and mentally, as well."