May 9, 2023 — In less than two weeks, students will be gathering on the Campus Green to receive their Marist degrees and commemorate a major milestone in their lives. Many of the undergraduates arrived on campus in August 2019 with their college career spanning times of optimism, uncertainty during a pandemic, and renewal as the campus - and the world - returned to normal operations. It does not take long to notice that the achievements of this year’s graduating class are impressive.

• The class continued the College’s strong tradition of applying learning through experiential learning and internships in industry and non-profit sectors. 
• Marist students partnered with faculty mentors on research projects and presented their work at national and even international conferences, traveling to places like Denver, San Antonio, and Valencia, Spain, to present their research alongside their mentors. A record number of research projects were presented at this year’s Celebration of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (CURSCA). 
• The Honors Program is graduating a class of over 100 students.
• 124 Division I student-athletes are graduating, demonstrating exceptional performance in both academics and athletics. 
• Over 21,600 hours have been devoted to community-based initiatives and learning in partnership with faculty and courses since the start of graduates’ freshman year.

“The Class of 2023 is, I believe, among the most impressive to have graduated from Marist,” said Dr. James Snyder, Dean for Academic Engagement. “Collectively and individually they accomplished an education that is in every way broader, deeper, and more complex. This class traversed the world to engage with new ideas and cultures and applied their knowledge to problems in the corporate and non-profit sectors. Now they are poised to improve the world as they take on positions of prominence and enroll in premier graduate programs.”

“While pivoting to online classes and caring for friends and loved ones impacted by the pandemic, the Class of 2023 did not miss a beat and learned to interview online and secure impressive internships,” said Mary Jones, Executive Director of Career Services at Marist. “This includes top accounting/finance and consulting organizations, marketing agencies, IT firms, sports teams, schools, government offices, research/labs, and even hospital emergency rooms. I could not be prouder of this talented, nimble, and service-oriented class.”

This issue is dedicated to celebrating the Class of 2023, whose accomplishments make the Marist community proud. Here are some of their stories.