Golden Bear Pride Shines Brightly as Caleigh McDermott Receives Degree from Western New England University

2022 Jul 13

Caleigh McDermott graduated Cum Laude from Western New England Univeristy with a BA in Creative Writing. Caleigh also gradauted with a minor in Film Studies.

The University held its undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, May 21. More than 450 students received their degrees. The top fields of study were Mechanical Engineering, Sport Management, Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Accounting.

In his remarks, President Robert E. Johnson referred to the resiliency and toughness demonstrated in the midst of the pandemic, "Your hard work and dedication over the last four years exemplifies your strength, your courage, and your character. You are the essence of possessing an agile mindset with the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn."

Hailey MacDonald, graduating with a major in English and a minor in Communication, was selected as the graduating student who would deliver the student address. "Since the last time we were together here, back in September of 2018, we've learned. We've grown. We've made friends, we've lost friends. We've accomplished milestones we're proud of, and we've done some things that we regret. We've cried, and we've laughed until we've cried, and we've all become better people because of it all. We've all become better people because we're Golden Bears. And that's the beauty of it," added MacDonald as she addressed her fellow graduates.

The Western New England University graduating class of 2022 hailed from 21 states which were: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. Graduates were also from Canada.