PHOTOS: Jefferson Grads Honored at 198th Commencement

“You’re entering a world in need, a world burdened with challenges at a time marked by continuous change,” H. Richard Haverstick Jr., interim president of Thomas Jefferson University, told graduates. “But if you look carefully, you’ll find that at the heart of every need, every challenge, every bit of change sits tremendous opportunity—opportunity to help someone, to heal someone, to create something, to do things differently, to identify and solve a problem, to make life better for one person, one community or even one whole planet.”

In her speech, Cameron Craig—outgoing Student Government Association president and marketing grad—urged her classmates to be ambitious as they move on to their next career step.

“Life rarely hands us exactly what we want,” Craig says. “We must act to get what we want. I challenge you to bring ambition into your everyday life. Make it a part of who you are. Go for what you want. Take risks. Accept failure and move on.”

During the ceremonies, Jefferson also recognized three industry leaders with honorary degrees:

• Sue Daugherty, RDN, LDN, CEO of MANNA and co-vice-chair of the Food Is Medicine Coalition.
• Brendan Gaul, global chief content officer for Mediabrands and global president of Traverse32. His award-winning documentary, “5B,” chronicles the moving stories of the nurses who founded the world’s first AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital. See his recent interview with 6ABC here.
• Tia Lyles-Williams, MS, MRSc, the first African American queer woman to own and lead a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company.

“Live your culture and choose your cool,” Lyles-Williams stresses. “Always be who you are, what you want to be and how you want to be seen and received. Never compromise yourself to fit the mold, beliefs or goals of others.”

See below for photos from the May 12 and 13 Commencement, and visit here for the event replays and more information on the May 25 Commencement ceremonies.