Katharine P. Boeding, of Millerton, NY, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Studies and Environmental Studies during the 2016 Commencement Ceremonies of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, held on Sunday, May 15. Boeding, the child of Alan R. Boeding & Carol L. Gribble, graduated Cum Laude and studied abroad in Berlin, Germany while at HWS.
Commencement 2016 marked the 191st graduation for Hobart and the 105th for William Smith. The Classes of 2016 included 260 William Smith and 236 Hobart undergraduates, as well as seven MAT students.
Dr. Cheryl L. Dorsey L.H.D. ’16, a Harvard trained physician and president of Echoing Green, delivered the 2016 Commencement Address. “Entrepreneurship is one of the most disruptive forces of the status quo. And this should really matter to you because entrepreneurship not only breaks the grip of the old way of doing things but it also helps create a new path forward,” Dorsey said during her address which called students to enact change through social entrepreneurship and purpose-driven leadership. Through community service, Dorsey articulated, one can strengthen “the muscles” of personal responsibility, civic participation and a justice-oriented perspective. “It is my sincerest hope that through your experiences here at HWS, you’ve developed all three of these muscles and are prepared to flex them as you begin the next phase of your journeys,” Dorsey said.
During his Valedictory Address, HWS President Mark D. Gearan asked the graduates to reflect on the ways in which they’ve experienced lives of consequence. “For me, one of the powerful dimensions of our mission to prepare students for a life of consequence is that it is, after all, a highly individualized conclusion to that question,” Gearan said. “I urge your ongoing reflection, your ongoing interrogation over the course of your life to this aspiration we have for all of you. It is one that defines the mission of Hobart and William Smith.”
This year, the Colleges conferred five honorary degrees to individuals who have enhanced local, national and global communities through their enduring spirit of service. They included: Dorsey; Judith Hershey Melly L.H.D. ’16, civic leader; Maureen Collins Zupan ’72, P’09, L.H.D. ’16, financial planner and outgoing chair of the HWS Board of Trustees; Joan Hinde Stewart L.H.D. ’16, president of Hamilton College; and John F. Collins P’72, P’74, P’84, P’90, GP’09, GP’12, GP’18, L.H.D. ’16, World War II veteran and retired New York City police officer.
Hobart and William Smith are small, residential Colleges. Nearly all of the 2,247 students live on campus and many live in learning communities and theme houses that focus on community-building. With a 10:1 student to faculty ratio, students develop rewarding one-on-one partnerships with faculty mentors, often resulting in published papers or presentations at national conferences. HWS offers 45 majors and 68 minors. Sixty percent of students create an independent course or major and many courses provide service-learning experiences, internships and job opportunities.
