jwufamily connection
PROVIDENCE CAMPUS
Commencement 2016 — Providence
And so, the adventure begins. Congratulations graduates!
NORTH MIAMI
DENVER
CHARLOTTE
This is a publication of Johnson & Wales University specifically created for families and designated contacts of JWU students.
PROVIDENCE
WELCOME Commencement is a day of celebration for students, their families and friends, faculty and staff. On May 21, commencement ceremonies were held at the Providence, North Miami, Denver and Charlotte campuses of Johnson & Wales University. Two student speakers were chosen in Providence, one for the morning ceremony and one for the afternoon ceremony. Here are a few highlights from their remarks:
Using the words of Abraham Lincoln, Jasmine Turner ’16, the chosen student speaker for the morning commencement ceremony, professed: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” These seven words served as the bookends of Turner’s speech to her fellow graduates from the John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, School of Engineering & Design, and School of Hospitality. Turner, an advertising and marketing communications graduate, reminded her classmates that “we are graduating from a university that honors its students’ passion. Johnson & Wales doesn’t try to own the great things we do ... but what we can always thank this university for is giving us the opportunity to express our true selves.” She closed her remarks by reiterating “’whatever you are, be a good one,’ because you will never stop inspiring the next generation.”
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
Above: Jasmine Turner ’16, morning commencement ceremony student speaker Left: Alexandra Terra ‘16, afternoon commencement ceremony student speaker
At the afternoon ceremony, Alexandra Terra ‘16, a culinary nutrition graduate, predicted the future in her speech to fellow graduates from the College of Culinary Arts and School of Hospitality. “Johnson & Wales has filled our toolkits with so much knowledge and friendship, and even family, that it will be hard for you not to succeed.” Terra also asked her graduating classmates to remember one thing. “As we move forward to higher education or out into the workplace, we must look back and thank those who made it possible for us to stand here today.”
PROVIDENCE
JWU Commencement 2016
There was twice the fun, twice the smiles and twice the tears (of joy) at the Johnson & Wales University Providence Campus commencement celebration on May 21. Morning and afternoon ceremonies were held to celebrate the 1,831 graduates and their families and friends. Everyone was greeted by Providence Campus President and Chief Operating Officer Mim L. Runey, LPD, via video message. She was not able to be at the ceremonies as she was attending her oldest daughter’s graduation from college. Jasmine Turner ’16, the morning ceremony student speaker, reminded her fellow graduates that this was just the beginning. “We’re not
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
done striving for greatness until ... the thirst for more skills, more creativity and more life doesn’t keep us awake at night; and right now none of our pallets are quenched,” she said. In the morning, the graduates heard from honorary degree recipient Rajendra Sisodia, PhD, co-founder and co-chairman, Conscious Capitalism Inc. He suggested, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” He reminded them to lead consciously in business and in life. Sisodia, speaking from the heart, continued, “Leaders are entrusted with the precious lives they touch … We have to decide at what level of consciousness we want to live.” continued...
That afternoon, Chef Champe Speidel ’00 admitted to the graduates of the College of Culinary Arts and the School of Hospitality that his path to the day's event was both a surprise and a miss. The surprise: JWU chose him for the honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker.
The miss: “I'll be honest. I worked the night of my graduation [and] missed this ceremony from Johnson & Wales. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, as the restaurant was very busy.” Speidel, having reopened his successful restaurant Persimmon at a new location in Providence a few days before commencement, spoke from experience. “To really make it in this industry you have to have the three P’s: passion, a partner and a plan … I may have missed my commencement 16 years ago, but I am thrilled and honored to be a part of yours. Thanks to the university, there is a car and a driver outside
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
to take me not to a celebratory dinner, but back to Persimmon. That is where I want to be because this is my craft. This is what I do, and I look forward to getting back on that line. This is my passion, this was my plan, and my wife and partner Lisa will be right there with me.” As the time drew near for the presentation of diplomas, friends, families and loved ones looked on anxiously, trying to catch a glimpse of their graduates before they made their way to the stage. After moving their tassels from right to left, the newly honored alumni spilled out of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in search of familiar faces. As they marched side by side around the arena, it became clear just how conscious they were that this was not just an end; it was also a beginning. “This was some journey,” read one mortarboard. “Ready for my next adventure, thanks mom and dad,” read another. Congratulations to the Class of 2016!
PROVIDENCE
JWU Commencement 2016
PROVIDENCE
VIDEOS
JWU Commencement 2016
Providence Commencement: Stories Above the Roar
JWU Project 2016: Members of the Class of 2016 reflect on their JWU journey
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
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PROVIDENCE
JWU Commencement 2016
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
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PROVIDENCE
JWU Commencement 2016
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
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Commen cement
JWU COMMENCEMENT
S T A T S
Class of 2016
PROVIDENCE CAMPUS
NORTH MIAMI CAMPUS
Total Undergraduate Degrees Awarded John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences School of Business School of Hospitality College of Culinary Arts School of Engineering & Design
1,831 168 428 806 326 103
Bachelor’s Degrees Associate Degrees
1,643 188
Honorary Degree Recipients and Commencement Speaker, morning ceremony Rajendra S. Sisodia, PhD, co-founder and co-chairman, Conscious Capitalism Inc. (speaker)
404 29 83 82 210
Bachelor’s Degrees Associate Degrees
322 82
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Speaker Paul Damico ’86, president, FOCUS Brands Inc., North America
DENVER CAMPUS
William J. Murphy, JD, partner, Murphy & Fay LLP Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Speaker, afternoon ceremony Champe Carter Speidel ’00, chef/proprietor, Persimmon and Persimmon Provisions Total Graduate Degrees Awarded Doctoral Degrees (EdD) Graduate Degrees (MBA, MAT, MS, MSPAS)
Total Undergraduate Degrees Awarded College of Arts & Sciences College of Culinary Arts School of Business School of Hospitality
261 18 243
Total Undergraduate Degrees Awarded College of Arts & Sciences College of Culinary Arts School of Business School of Hospitality
271 3 125 27 116
Bachelor’s Degrees Associate Degrees
186 85
Honorary Degree Recipients and Commencement Speaker, graduate ceremony Terrie Fox Wetle, MS, PhD, dean, School of Public Health; professor of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University (speaker)
Total Graduate Degrees (MBA) Awarded
Anthony Maione, president and CEO, United Way of Rhode Island
William Yosses, founder, Kitchen Garden Laboratory
ONLINE CAMPUS
CHARLOTTE CAMPUS
Total Degrees Awarded Bachelor’s Degrees Graduate Degrees (MBA, MS)
101 47 54
Total Degrees Awarded: 3,300
17
Honorary Degree Recipients and Commencement Speaker Steven J. McCarthy, chairman and CEO, Além International Management Inc. (speaker)
Total Undergraduate Degrees Awarded College of Culinary Arts School of Business School of Hospitality
415 125 66 224
Bachelor’s Degrees Associate Degrees
290 125
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Speaker Joseph “Frank” Scibelli, founder and CEO, FS Food Group
Includes Fall 2015, Winter 2016 and expected Spring 2016 graduates; does not include Summer 2016 graduates
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
NORTH MIAMI
JWU Commencement 2016 Pride. Courage. Character. Community. We know it as the Wildcat Way, but it was the underlying theme during this year’s North Miami Campus commencement ceremony. Honorary degree recipient Paul Damico ’86, president of FOCUS Brands Inc., North America, shared stories of the pride and character it takes to overcome obstacles and seize new opportunities. “Commencement means the beginning,” said Damico. “Today marks the beginning of your career. For many of you, you are the first in your families to earn a degree, and to you I say ‘well done.’ As you leave here and start a job, my hope for you is that a job becomes a career you absolutely love; and then that career, over time, becomes a calling for you. Because that’s what happened to me.” Student speaker Jenna Boersma ’16 shared her story about the courage it took to leave the institution at which she began her collegiate career Student speaker Jenna Boersma ’16 and to transition to JWU echoed his sentiment, sharing her story about the courage it took to leave the greatest teacher of all; it was a true blessing institution at which she began her collegiate in disguise.” career and transition to JWU. “In those two As the ceremony came to a close, Damico left years as a Gator, I encountered numerous graduates with a strong message about their disappointments and rejections. They came role in making an impact in our community: [within my] academic career and personal “Work hard, be humble, and one day, give life. I lived with my choice for two years until back and pay it forward.” I gained the courage to do something about
it. I soon [found] out that rejection was the
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
That’s the Wildcat Way.
DENVE
JWU Commencement 2016
Cheers and smiles surrounded the Class of 2016 as they walked through the Robert E. Taylor Gate on May 20, an annual campus tradition marking the beginning of commencement activities. The soon-to-be graduates paraded east through the gate, as alumni celebrated them with high fives and alumni pins. The following morning, commencement exercises kicked off at the Colorado Convention Center. Student commencement speaker Zaira Becerril ’16 regaled her classmates with her unique JWU experience as an international student from Mexico. “JWU’s Denver Campus, with its diversity, sense of community, comfort and support, helped me better understand American culture.” Two outstanding individuals also received honorary degrees. Steven J. McCarthy, chairman and CEO of Além International
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016
Management and Olympic torch relay director, received a Doctor of Business Administration in Marketing degree. William H. Yosses, recent White House executive pastry chef and founder of Kitchen Garden Laboratory, received a Doctor of Culinary Arts degree. “You went to school here probably not knowing that you could become the best in the world at what you do,” remarked McCarthy ’16 Hon., who gave the commencement address. “Now you can ask, what if I was the best in the world at what I do … on my worst day?” As students were called to receive their degrees and cross the stage, the hall exploded with shouts and applause from family and friends who supported them in their journey. 271 students received their undergraduate degrees, while 17 students walked off the stage with their MBAs.
CHARLOTTE
JWU Commencement 2016 He was once homeless. He sold drugs to support himself. How far he has come since living on the streets of North Miami. Reginald “Reg” DesRavines ’16 proudly crossed the commencement stage — summa cum laude, with highest honor.
Reginald DesRavines ‘17 with Center for Academic Support (CAS) Director Susan Flaherty
DesRavines was one of nearly 600 graduates inside Time Warner Cable Arena on a beautiful, cool Carolina morning. Family and friends watched their graduates on a 38foot scoreboard, the largest in any indoor entertainment venue in the country. Donned with intricately decorated and colorful caps, the graduates excitedly shook hands with Vice President Tarun Malik ’90, ’11 EdD or President Robert Mock Jr., EdD. In his first commencement ceremony as president of the JWU Charlotte Campus, Mock joked that he knew some of the graduates began their celebrations as soon as the last final exam was completed. “But now I ask you all to take this time to sit back, bask in the glory of your accomplishments and take pride in your university while we honor you.” But for many students like DesRavines, before they dive into a new career, they plan to return to campus and earn a bachelor’s degree. And once again, DesRavines will be seen, larger than life on the scoreboard, and hopefully, once again, walking across the stage with honors.
JWU Family Connection | Commencement 2016