2023 Commencement quickly approaches

By Bella Lee Staff writer

The undergraduate Commencement ceremony celebrating the Class of 2023 will be held on Saturday, May 13, celebrating a grand total of 768 graduates, consisting of 591 undergraduates and 107 recipients of associate degrees.

Friday, May 12, will see an additional 177 candidates receive master’s degrees.

The recipients of this year’s student awards have big plans ahead.

Hayes Miller, graduating with a B.A. in Religious Studies and a minor in Anthropology/Archaeology, is the recipient of the Carolyn Herrmann Service Award.

“It is such a great honor to represent the outstanding work done in service by our graduating class,” they said. “All of my service work found its purpose through the Mercy Core Values, and I do not take this lightly, as I will continue my dedication to service for the rest of my life.

“My greatest achievement would be how I had the opportunity to go beyond the gates on multiple occasions, spanning from Costa Rica to Texas to Cincinnati, and to the local Erie community.”

Miller will be staying at Mercyhurst following graduation to pursue their Master’s in Applied Intelligence.

Brentyn Muir, a double major in Data Science and Intelligence Studies, is this year’s recipient of the Bishop’s Award for Academic Excellence.

“Receiving the Bishop’s Award for Academic Excellence means a lot to me, as it recognizes my hard work, dedication, and achievements in my academic pursuits,” he said.

“I am deeply grateful for the recognition and motivation to continue pursuing excellence in all aspects of my life. It is not an individual thing that was my greatest achievement, rather I am most proud of overcoming constant hurdles that I encountered during my time here.

“I am grateful to have made it through challenges that I thought were insurmountable at the time, and I am proud of the resilience and determination that I exhibited to overcome them.”

Muir plans on moving to the Washington, D.C., area in pursuit of a role that allows him to leverage both of his degrees while pursuing meaningful goals and outcomes.

Katharine Whitticom, who will have dual degrees in Political Science and Intelligence Studies with a minor in Russian Studies, earned the Mother Borgia Egan Honors Award this year.

“To me, this award is such an honor, because I have known the past three winners,” said Whitticom. “Each one was very committed to not only being an intellectual or Honors student, but also to the leadership, professional, cultural awareness, and service that is required to remain in the Honors Program.

“The Honors Program has been such an influential part of my college career. My senior year, I was elected Honors Council president. Through my Honors events, classes and service, I made some of my closest friends, found a second major, but most importantly, learned who I wanted to be as not just a student but as a person,” she said.

Whitticom will be heading to Boston University to obtain her Master’s of Science in Applied Data Analytics.

Jillian Blas, who will be receiving a B.S. in Sports Medicine, is this year’s Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. “When I arrived as a freshman, I had made it my goal to step out of my comfort zone and give 110% in everything that I do,” said Blas.

“I believe this award is a direct reflection of my goal that I had set as a freshman. None of this would have been possible without my family, friends, teammates, coaches, professors and everyone who has had an impact on me throughout my 4 years.”

Additional awards given this year include Lily Smith for the Frank Barry Leadership Award, Austin Cortopassi for Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, and Rondale Smith for the Carpe Diem Award.

Congratulations to the Class of 2023! We can not wait to see what all you accomplish in the future!