May Commencement Archive

The moment we’ve been waiting for is here: Welcome, Class of 2025 and our distinguished guests!

I am overjoyed to open the 130th Commencement at Ithaca College. It is my honor to congratulate our soon-to-be alumni on this outstanding accomplishment. It takes exceptional dedication, careful balance, and rigorous study to obtain excellence in an academic field. I commend you for the commitment you’ve demonstrated. 

Members of your class will advance to graduate studies at institutions that include Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Birkbeck, University of London, Ithaca College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, University of Oregon, University of Rochester, Vanderbilt University, Washington State University, and Yale University.

Employers include, ABC News, Center for the Arts at Ithaca, Ernst and Young, Harvard University, KPMG, MLB Network, Newsday, Premier Lacrosse League, Teach for America, The Daily Show, The Toronto Blue Jays, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Woodstock Film Festival.

Some of you will perform, some will launch a business. Some will teach; some will heal. Some will explore solutions to problems we are not even aware we have. And others will discover new ways to think about what we take for granted.

Many of you are representing who you are and your impressive achievements in academics, athletics, work experiences, organizations, and honor societies with cords, stoles, and pins. I wish to call out just a few of those:
• Black and gold single cords identify our first-generation college students.
• Those of you wearing blue and yellow cords are graduating with academic honors. 
• Our students wearing rainbow cords are demonstrating your pride as a member of our LGBTQA family. 
• ROTC students, and students wearing stoles distinguishing the branch of the armed forces they represent, show your commitment to serving our country. 
• Kente stoles and stoles representing a country of origin tell us about your roots that stretch around the globe. 

In all, more than 900 students comprise Ithaca College’s Class of 2025. I wish to honor the 28 faculty who earned tenure and/or promotion this academic year, and the 8 faculty who joined our professors’ emeriti community. Thank you for your commitment to our students and to our institution. Can we please give them a round of applause?

Now, I want to take you back to the start of your college career, way back to 2021. Your class was the first to return to a full, in-person school year at IC, after the COVID shutdown. Upon entry, you had to have an in-person covid test in the A&E center and as Jesus Noriega reminded me the other day, you had to show a green screen on your cell phone to be admitted to classes. Remember? At your Convocation, you did not march in like you did today, you were escorted in and were seated three feet apart because we were still in social distancing mode. The theme for convocation was “What Does it Mean to Be in Community.” As your provost in 2021, I said, “The Ithaca College community, like every other community around the world is populated by a beautiful, wonderful array of people, each bringing their individual personalities, prejudices, and biases.” I then added, “It is our collective responsibility to understand and recognize these differences, but not to judge, disenfranchise, or discriminate against anyone for them.”

As your president in 2025, my charge to you today, is to always speak truth and treat everyone with respect. When you tell the truth, you don’t ever have to remember what you said and when you treat everyone with respect, more often than not, you will receive what you give. I pray you always choose to do the right thing for the right reason, at the right time, even when no one is watching.

Following a tradition begun in 1992, the college’s centennial year, each graduate has received a medallion inscribed with a quotation chosen by the college’s president. This year’s quotation comes from academic and author, Brene Brown: Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.

If faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen, whatever it is you are hoping for, have the courage to believe you will achieve it, even if you cannot see it. Even when it looks like the odds are stacked against you, believe in something greater than you. Find the courage to look beyond what you see and believe in the possibility that lies in what you do not see. Embrace uncertainty. Fear not. Easy to say. Hard to do. Imagine for one moment that you have been equipped with everything you need to meet with success or to overcome failure as a direct result of your time here at IC.

During your time here, we challenged you to think, to learn, to question, to seek wisdom and gain knowledge for the betterment of yourself and others inside and outside of the classroom. We demanded that you abide by and let your actions reflect the values of this institution daily. We expect you to be a loyal and contributing member of the Ithaca College community for life. And now, as you prepare to take your leave, correction, as you prepare to launch from this place, I ask you to recognize that as an educated citizen of the world, grounded in the liberal arts and professional studies, we expect you to lead, to serve, and to make a difference in the world because you have been equipped so to do. Now go make us proud. The world is counting on you, and we believe in you! 

Congratulations!

Hello and good morning, Class of 2025!

Standing here today is such an honor and it's also completely surreal. Because forty years ago—almost to the day—I was leading the Class of nineteen eighty<\/em> -five onto the football field for commencement with my fellow senior class officers. 

I remember the sun … 
I remember the sea of caps and gowns … 
And … I remember thinking, “This is it—this is the big moment.”

But what I remember most vividly is actually something two of my fellow class officers said to me just as we were lining up, facing our classmates and the crowd of families and friends: “Hey—we think we see your dad.”

Now, just like today, the stadium was packed, and I honestly thought my friends were teasing me. 

But then they pointed—top left corner of the bleachers. And sure enough, there he was: my dad, Duke Digilio. 

Jumping up and down, waving both arms, beaming and shouting with joy, like only a proud parent can. Duke was short in height, but he had a huge presence—especially on that day. He just couldn’t contain his joy. I was the first in my family to graduate from college and he wanted everyone to know how proud he was of me.

So, today, I know two things for sure. First, my dad is somewhere up in heaven, jumping up and down again, cheering that his daughter is giving the commencement address at this amazing school, her alma mater. And second, that Glazer Arena is filled with Dukes. Moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, partners, and chosen family—people who are absolutely bursting with pride for you. 

That’s right, parents and friends, feel free to cheer! Stand up and celebrate your graduate. Unleash your inner Duke!

Of course, Class of 2025: You should feel proud, too. 

You’re graduating and, I hope, filled with a sense of accomplishment. But you may feel a little sadness, too, right? Maybe you're even a little unsure about what's next? That’s understandable, you’re leaving the friends you’ve made and the community you’ve been part of these past four years. 

It's natural to feel some uncertainty along with the excitement about what lies ahead … So, as I thought about what would be most meaningful for me to share from my journey as you begin your own … it came down to a few simple, but very powerful principles.

Beginning with the overarching principle of “Surround yourself with good people.”

Good people who are your champions. Who share your values, see your promise, and can be counted upon to lift you up in life in good times, tough moments and the in between. 

Duke and my mom encouraged me to do this from my earliest days. In addition to instilling their belief in me, that I could do anything I set my mind to, they taught me about the power of having good people around us. Following their advice has been essential to my career and happiness in life. And, as it turns out, my career leading Human Resources and people functions of global companies, meant it was my job to literally surround myself and my colleagues with good people. People with drive, talent, and curiosity—as well as kindness and empathy.

It can be harder than you might think, but there’s really nothing more important for you in your career, in your life, and in this moment. 

Look around. Some of those good people may be here with you today—your fellow Ithaca College graduates and family. These are the people who believe in you, can support you, and will be there for you just as you will be for them. Keep them close. You will also meet others who will be great friends, influential mentors, and talented bosses. Nurture those relationships. Be good to those people and let them be good to you.

These people will make a big difference in your life as you leave Ithaca College and make your way at work and in the world. With good people by your side and taking an active role in your professional and personal life, you can face any challenge and succeed beyond your wildest dreams. 

So, what does it look like to actively surround yourself with good people?

First: recognize the people in your lives who see your potential and want the best for you, those who will push you to be your best. Sometimes these folks will see a light in you that you may not even know you have. These are the people who will gently nudge you out of your comfort zone when the time is right and urge you to accept new challenges, whether it’s taking a new job, creating something new, starting a company or just taking a chance on yourself.

And sometimes, a gentle shove is just what you need when it’s time to make a move or lean into a new opportunity. That’s how I got to Ithaca College. In my senior year in high school I had been accepted to some great colleges, including Ithaca, but I was worried my mom needed me to stay close to home on Long Island. I thought maybe I should stay home, work, and maybe take some classes at a community college nearby. But a teacher who knew me well and was convinced I shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend an excellent school stepped in.

He actually went to my mother and told her I was thinking of taking a pass on a going away to attend a great school. My mom sat me down and said, “You are going to college. You are going to pursue your big dreams and have a big life.”

It wasn’t easy. I put myself through school – through a combination of financial aid, student loans, working at the Ithaca College pub, and multiple summer jobs. And thanks to another great person, former Dean of the Park School of Communications, Tom Bohn, I was able to earn a master’s degree in Communication at IC, when he strongly encouraged me to accept a fellowship whereby my tuition was covered in exchange for me agreeing to be a graduate assistant and to help with the marketing of the program. I initially hesitated about staying behind for a master’s degree, while my friends were graduating and leaving Ithaca, but fortunately I listened to Tom.

But that push—that belief—from my both my high-school teacher and Tom, changed the entire trajectory of my life. It taught me that other people—good people—can sometimes steer us in the right direction, help us see our path, or guide us when it isn’t clear to us.

Sometimes others see the light in you before you see it yourself.

Second: Be open.

Look at the people around you. Just four years ago, the friends who surround and nurture you today were probably strangers. You were thrown into the whirlwind of starting college during the pandemic, and despite it all, you found community, your tribe. Maybe your closest friends are people you shared a room with, studied alongside, played sports with, or got to know while pursuing a passion. Your tribe may be large or just a few people. Either way, you will carry these friendships with you long after college …

And just as those relationships don’t end today – neither does the need to keep being open to new relationships and the experiences that follow. You never know where they will lead.

One of my many jobs at Ithaca was as an admissions officer during graduate school. During a campus visit, a parent of a prospective student saw something in me – and offered me a job that would change my life. “I want to hire you when you graduate,” he said.

I couldn’t believe it. But it turned out he was serious and said he would create a role for me at the small, family-run company that had recently gone public. He was the CEO. So, I joined the company and suddenly found myself flying around the country giving presentations to presidents of school boards with people like Jean Young, the wife of Atlanta mayor and civil rights activist, Andrew Young. The door that the Ithaca parent opened for me was one of many, both in my career and my life. With the encouragement of those around me, I took that opportunity and many others that followed.

In time, I went from being a young woman with an inclination toward self-doubt to a more confident person learning from icons of the hospitality, gaming, and entertainment industries… successful people who gave me the chance to travel the world, open hotels and resorts and launch new brands throughout the US, Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

With the opportunity to work side-by-side with people of different backgrounds and cultures …

All of these experiences enriched my life, expanded my world, and helped me become a successful leader. But as I reflect back, I realize they were only possible because I actively chose to be open to them, even when I feared I wasn’t ready for the next step—often a BIG step—in my career.

So, when someone who believes in you thinks you’re ready ... believe them! Walk through the door!

Third: Build and nurture your network.

I don’t mean collecting a thousand LinkedIn connections. I mean finding a few good people who really get you—and sticking with them.

In one of my earliest jobs in hospitality, I worked closely with a man named Alan Fuerstman, someone I admired tremendously. We worked together acquiring luxury properties and discovered we were a great team. At one point, Alan and I ended up spending a month onsite advising our employer on a real estate transaction. During that time, we got to understand one another. He shared his hopes and dreams for his career – and I shared mine.

Long after we each left that company, we remained friends and stayed connected. Over the next decade, in addition to periodic catchups, Alan called me every year to ask me to join him at the hotel company he had started in 2002 – Montage - and I would say “no”.

Now you might ask, “Monica, what about being open to new experiences?” But for most of that time, I had a big job I loved, overseeing 20,000 employees in 13 countries – and he was running what was, at the time, a small, fledgling company with three hotels and fewer than 2,000 employees.

But Alan was as persistent as he was talented and kind. He knew that I could help him attract really great people and help him grow the company – and I knew him and what he was building. So, when I finally said yes, it was because I knew I could be the partner he needed. And I wanted to help my friend.

That move ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made – and we had an incredible run together. We built a world-class team, a great employee culture and experience, and set the company on a growth trajectory that continues today.

When it was time for me to move on because I wanted to stretch again and do something different with my career, he said he was sorry to see me go but he supported me 100%. Then he helped me achieve my next big goal, which was to serve on a public company board as an independent director. It was Alan’s encouragement and recommendation that helped to make that happen. That’s what good people do.

The point is, when you build a network of people who understand you—and nurture those relationships—those people will nurture you too.

A strong network isn’t about quantity—it’s about loyalty, understanding and trust.

Finally, if you want to be surrounded by good people, be a good person.

Let’s end where we began, with my dad, Duke.

When I got my first job opportunity in HR, Duke was encouraging as always. But he gave me a piece of advice I’ll never forget: “Remember: When you are in HR, and meeting with employees, you’re talking to a person. Your words—and how you treat people—could make it the best or worst day of their lives. Remember who you are.”

What my dad was telling me was, “Don’t lose your humanity.”

That feels especially appropriate today.

• When you have the chance, open a door for someone.
• When a friend is uncertain, lift them up.
• When faced with a choice, choose kindness.

As I look back on the people, I’m most grateful for in my career and life, I don’t think of the people with the biggest titles. I remember those who have been loyal, generous, and human. I’m a product of their goodness. That’s what I want to leave you with today.

Class of 2025: The good people around you will help you see your light, pursue your dreams, take bold chances, and live the big life you were meant to live. Let them. And be that person for someone else.

So go forward.
Be brave.
Be kind.
Be unstoppable.
And always remember – you’ve got a whole team of Dukes cheering you on.

Congratulations, Class of 2025! The world is waiting for you!

There is a great feeling of pride in this room today. It is big and magnetic. Truthfully, I think my parents are generating about 85% of that feeling, but I hope that it’s palpable for you too. I hope that you feel it. I hope that you know that once you’ve crossed this stage, you will have joined a group of people who have the experience of Ithaca College woven into their lives. You will be joining a group of excellent scholars, artists, innovators, questioners and answerers, strategists, caretakers. I hope that you know that once the excitement of this monumental day wears off, the excellence that Ithaca helped us recognize and shape over the last four years will remain. 

I can tell you standing here today that I now know things about myself as a woman, as a leader, and as an artist that I credit Ithaca College for. But I wonder how I might sustain that excellence. How might we ensure that we continue to show up to spaces with the tools we’ve been equipped with? Well, I’ll share with you what I've gathered. I want you to look around you. I want you to know that the community in this room is real and tangible. Whether you recognize the person next to you or not, we are connected. 

We are connected through the uncertainty of covid, through the whirlwind of our early twenties, through the bitter winters that felt like they’d never end, through the joy of being the class of 2025. That connectedness does not go away once we’ve moved the tassels. Look at them and trust that your excellence does not have to stand on its own. You’re sitting in a room of over a thousand excellent scholars and in them you have a home. Lean on us. We will carry you when you need rest. We will celebrate you. We will remind you of your why.

To my dear friends, thank you for reminding me of my why, the joy of storytelling, of inviting people to feel through word and song. Thank you for blasting Hamilton on every long car ride until I finally sang along. It is a good album y’all. 

I prepare for the next leg of my journey knowing that in you I have a home. The support and patience that you have administered to me has allowed me room to explore my artistry, my leadership, my heart. You have given me time to solidify a truth that I want to share with you all today. 

Since I was a young girl, my father has always told me that I am a party all by myself. And I have sat with this for all of my life, rolling it around in my head, tattooing it on my body hoping for a moment of resolute clarity. And my understanding of being a party all by myself has changed from me believing that I am the funniest person in the room to believing that I don’t need anybody. But at the end of my undergrad journey, I have come to know what he meant all those years ago and it is this: I have always had intrinsic value. I will always have intrinsic value. Every single person in this room has intrinsic value. If you didn’t know that before now, I am honored to be the one to break the news. We matter to the spaces we inhabit simply because we are who we are.

You matter to every space you will take up once you move on from here because you are simply you and there is no accomplishment or accolade you could acquire that would change how important you are today. You are a party all by yourself. All that you are in this moment is enough. The world needs your art. It needs your mind. It needs your passion and your opinions. The world needs you. 

When I am asked in what ways I have grown since coming to Ithaca College, that is what I tell people. That I know these things like I know my own name and when all of them collide, it allows me to stand on stage in front of a lot of people, and tell them that they are worthy, that they are incredibly and wonderfully made, and that they matter. What an honor it is to experience this life and this moment at the same time as all of you. 

Congratulations to my fellow 2025 graduates. We did it!

You all are... I can feel the energy in the room here today. 

Hi, guys. 

Pulling into campus, just a short time ago ... the campus is as beautiful as I remember and it grows every time I arrive here, driving past Rowland Hall, my freshman dorm ... Emerson Hall ... Bob Iger's West Tower... Do the elevators still breakdown at the West Tower?

And I drove past my beloved Park School of Communications. Where, I just learned backstage ... I want to break some news here too—that twice the number of journalism students are coming this fall as did last year. Congratulations to a program that continues to grow. 

So obviously you know my career is driven by breaking news and it's taken me along this incredible journey since leaving Ithaca College here so many years ago. My visit here today is driven by two things. Obviously the energy of all of you in this room, your families who love you and have helped you get to this moment, your loved ones, and I'm here obviously, for my friend and mentor, fellow Ithaca College alum Bob Iger. 

When I learned of Bob's honor today, President Cornish reached out to me, and when I learned he was going to be here in person to celebrate all of you, to make sure that he was here to celebrate what your parents have done to get you here—we haven't forgotten what you takes for these families that they too are responsible for this day as well. The professors, teachers, your peers and friends you will carry for the rest of your life. I thought the fact that Bob Iger is going to be here once again speaks volumes about who Bob Iger is. The fact that he would want to return to where it all began for him. I'm not going to speak for long, I promise. I wanted to share a couple of things about Bob on graduation day that I hope will inspire you because the next generation of leaders and CEOs and innovators are in this room today. 

You all know that wildly talented Bob Iger has run the Walt Disney Company not once, but twice, as CEO. You all grew up with Disney as part of the culture and your parents did, and your grandparents did. And his tenure as CEO—now twice—has been defined by fearless choices, being brave, always looking to the future, the acquisitions—and they were brave acquisitions, growing Disney, embracing technology, and doing this all while protecting what’s true to Disney, the storytelling that has defined Disney from the very beginning. And he’s also done this by remaining true to himself.

He's still the kid who grew up in Oceanside, New York. And he's still the young man shaped by the grueling, long winters of the South Hill here in Ithaca. It's a badge of honor ... own it. We all survive the winters up here. And I would like to think that he, too, was a nerd in the television radio program, but I'm convinced that probably back then Bob was cooler than the rest of us today. 

The incredible thing about Bob Iger, and I hope it's true for all of you in this room, is that he is every bit as proud of his time here as he is of all of the things he has achieved since leaving Ithaca. As the leader of Disney, he's pushed us all. He's put people into leadership positions, into the anchor chair at 6:30 on World News Tonight<\/em> . He puts us in the roles because he sees something, tests us, shapes us, and makes us better even in ways we can't imagine until we're put in that chair. And I do recognize as I stand in front of you today that I'm sitting in that chair at 6:30 and I'm standing here because of Bob Iger. So thank you, Bob, for that.

It's with enormous pride I stand up here working for ABC News, for Disney, this hopeful company whose storytelling champions the human condition all over this country and the world. And I wanted to share something from Bob's incredible and insightful book, The Ride of a Lifetime<\/em> , which you really should read until the next book comes out. I'm not sure when that is. I read this book, I kid you not, on a nuclear submarine in the eastern Mediterranean. I was on assignment deep beneath the sea and it's a little difficult to sleep on a nuclear submarine so I pulled out Bob's book. In this book, there's one revelation in particular that rang true to me and I hope for many of you who will set out into the world just a short time from now. Regardless of what your journey will be, and there will be so many of them. And there is no one journey. Your journey is your own and we cannot wait to see where you go and we need you more than ever, we need you. 

Bob writes this, "No matter who we become or what we accomplish, we still feel we're essentially the kid we were at some simpler time long ago. Somehow that's the trick of leadership. To hold on to that awareness of yourself even as the world tells you how powerful and how important you are. The moment you start to believe it all too much, the moment you look at yourself in the mirror and see a title emblazoned on your forehead, you've lost your way. That may be the hardest and also the most necessary lesson to keep in mind, that wherever you are along your path, you're the same person you've always been." 

I believe that's true of Bob. That's why we're all sitting here today. And I hope that's a lesson for all of you to remain true to yourself. Own who it is you are, and let that guide you in your journey. As CEO of Disney, he's taken us to unimaginable heights. He was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth and yet he's sitting here on the South Hill with us today. 

And let me just close by saying this. Like all of you graduating here in this room today, Bob too was shaped by the beauty of this wonderful college on a hill. And by the basic sense of human decency that we celebrate at Ithaca College. He never forgot who he was, which has made him one of the most accessible, most honest, most impressive CEOs of our time. He is the same person he has always been, and that is the magic of Bob Iger.

Congratulations, Bob.

Thank you, Dr. Cornish. And thank you all to the members of the Board of Trustees, members of the faculty, members of the administration, family and friends, graduates. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And to my dear friend and colleague, David Muir, that was quite a surprise. That was a complete surprise to me, but I'm not surprised in some ways, David. You are a very special person and the generosity that you exhibited this morning, both in showing up and in your words, I truly appreciate. I do want to correct you though. There's one thing you said. And that is that you were in the anchor chair because of me. You're in the anchor chair because of you.

I graduated in 1973. That was 52 years ago. That's a long time ago. But coming back to Ithaca College, I must say it feels like I never left in so many ways. I guess there is a bit of my heart and my soul that remains here and always will. And I do stand here today filled with enormous gratitude. First for this lovely honor, for the fun and excitement and fulfilling nature of my career, and for the opportunity to attend Ithaca College which served as the springboard to my journey. 

To all graduates, I wish you luck and a little bit of advice as you embark on your journeys really yet to be written. And I'll be very brief. 

Have dreams. And if they do not come true, have others.

My dream graduating college was to be a network news anchor person. David Muir fulfilled that dream. I did not. But I developed another dream. I wanted to become a television production executive. I can check that box. I did that. It's a lesson. Have dreams and if they don't come true, create new ones. 

To all of you, remain hopeful and always optimistic. Those traits will fuel you. I promise. And they will create opportunities. 

And today you will leave the home that has been yours for the last four years. I know that's kind of sad in a way, maybe bittersweet, but don't feel sad, because if you've loved this home, you'll take some of it with you wherever you go. I know that I did. 

So to all of you graduates, good luck and God speed. To everyone at Ithaca responsible for this esteemed award thank you very much. I am honored and will treat it as well as my Knighthood. Maybe more so. Thank you very much. 

Again, congratulations!