Seton Hall Class of 2012 "Graduates as one"

Graduates of Seton Hall’s Class of 2012 were encouraged to honor their journey by finding their passion and purpose in life.

Scott Chesney, a 1992 Arts and Sciences alumnus and a motivational coach and speaker, addressed the 1,290 spirited baccalaureate graduates who filled the Izod Center for the University’s 155th commencement. Chesney reminded the graduates that they had achieved something neither Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, or Steve Jobs had accomplished….a college degree. “Life is your classroom now,” he said.

Echoing Chesney’s comments, Seton Hall President A. Gabriel Esteban asked the graduates to think about their goals and identify their passions.  “Where ever you go on your journey,” he added, "remember Seton Hall.” Esteban's daughter, Ysabella Maria, was among the students who graduated on Monday.

Kent Manahan, a member of the Seton Hall Board of Regents, conferred the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on Kenneth F. Hackett, former president of the Catholic Relief Services. Hackett, who has honorary degrees from Villanova, Notre Dame and Boston College, among others, served CRS for four decades, overseeing a global staff of more than 5000 operating in over 100 countries.

Audra Quinton, President of the Class of 2012, gave the salutatory address. She congratulated her classmates on “wrapping up a chapter of their lives and drafting the next.”  As you start your journey, Quinton told them, be sure to “get your feet wet.”

Andrew Fisher Felbinger had the final word at commencement.  Concluding his heartfelt valedictory address, he said: “Class of 2012, today we graduate as one.”