SUNY Plattsburgh Celebrates Commencement 2010

More Than 800 Students Take the Stage

Related Media

Benjamin Pomerance was student speaker at SUNY Plattsburgh's afternoon commencement ceremony. Credit Michelle Ouellette.

PLATTSBURGH, NY (05/15/2010)(readMedia)-- Hugs, tears, and congratulations were the order of the day Saturday, May 15, at SUNY Plattsburgh's commencement ceremonies. More than 800 SUNY Plattsburgh students crossed the dais during the two celebrations.

Nicole Immerso: 'Living Your Passion'

The student speaker for the morning ceremony was Nicole Immerso of Island Park, N.Y., who graduated cum laude with a bachelor's in hotel, restaurant and tourism management. Immerso called for the graduates to "Take the thing that makes you happiest and turn it into a career."

"I am asking you to consciously choose your path," said Immerso. "If you are sitting here today with a square piece of cardboard on your head, and you realize that the road you are heading down does not take you to the future you would like to live, then take the first exit that will take you there. If this means going against the expectations you have had for yourself for as long as you can remember, or even the expectations of people who are close to you, then I hope you have the courage to do that. You deserve a life that will make you happy."

… "as Plattsburgh has taught me in four years, failure is never an outcome if you try," said Immerso.

Benjamin Pomerance: 'Choosing Your Direction'

The student speaker for the afternoon ceremony was Benjamin Pomerance of Plattsburgh, a major in journalism and political science, who graduated summa cum laude.

Pomerance quoted a commencement address once given by the late Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, saying "… you must exercise great care. You may swallow down what's solid – BUT! – you must spit out the air."

"Of course, it is up to us to decide for ourselves what is substantive and what is hot air," said Pomerance. "Many entities will compete for our attention, and we can devote our lives to only a few."

Pomerance encouraged the graduates to pick those items carefully, adding that if, in doing so, "our lives positively impact the life of even just one other person on our journey, we can consider our own existence to be a life well lived."

Distinguished Service Award

Edward Brohel, former director of the Plattsburgh State Art Museum, was an honored guest at the ceremony, receiving the college's Distinguished Service Award for his work in growing the college's art collection and increasing its influence on the campus.

Many prospective students and parents comment on how impressed they are with the amount of art in the open areas of campus, said College Council Chair Arnold Amell, who presented Brohel's award. "We can thank Ed Brohel for those praises."

President John Ettling presided over the commencement ceremony as the 10th president of SUNY Plattsburgh. Associate Dean Thomas Corigliano served as faculty marshal, carrying the traditional college mace and leading the processional of faculty and students into the first ceremony. Dr. Charles Zinser, professor of geography, served as marshal for the second ceremony. The honor of carrying the mace goes to the most senior faculty member attending the ceremony.

During both ceremonies, the Elgin and District Pipes and Drums played the bagpipes and the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir sang the "Star Spangled Banner," accompanied by the American Sign Language class.