May 3, 2024
Empire State University Honors Class of 2024 in Albany Ceremony
(ALBANY, NY – MAY 3, 2024) Empire State University celebrated the Class of 2024 on Friday, May 3 at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center.
Empire State President Lisa Vollendorf and New York State Assemblymember Patricia Fahy were in attendance.
Members of the SUNY Empire class of 2024 collectively live in 57 different New York State counties, 22 U.S. states and territories, and 15 countries around the world. They ranged from age 18 to 77. 67 of the graduates were military-affiliated students including active-duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, Reserve, veterans, spouses, and other dependents.
The ceremony featured student speaker Em Wasserman , of Albany, NY, who received a bachelor’s degree in social science with a concentration in human rights advocacy. Wasserman is the university's Student Government Association president and recipient of the 2024 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
SUNY Empire President Lisa Vollendorf said, “Today is a day for celebration – a celebration of your success, your tenacity, and your commitment to advancing your education in service to a larger purpose. A college education is not about the piece of paper you receive today. It is about the knowledge and skills you have gained that will help you succeed long into the future, even as the world constantly changes around us.”
SUNY Empire Faculty Speaker and Department Chair of Accounting, Economics, Finance, and MIS Nazik Roufaiel said, “You embarked on a tough journey with unwavering determination. Yet you stayed focused on that bright light at the end of the tunnel – and your courage and resilience have paid off! Today marks a glorious chapter of your continued education. Life is not worthy unless we endure the risk of progress and advancement.”
SUNY Empire Student Speaker Em Wasserman said, “I feel incredibly privileged to be here with you to celebrate and honor our hard work and dedication as students, often with so many compounding responsibilities. We stand on the brink of a new chapter ready to embark on journeys that will continue to shape our futures and our narratives. Each of us has a story to tell, and my story of perseverance is only one of the many powerful stories in this room.”
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said, “Keep reaching for the stars, well beyond achieving this degree tonight. Reach with one hand, so that you continue to keep the other hand free to pull someone else along with you, because that is how each of you got here and it is what will make a difference in your futures and all the futures surrounding us.”
A recording of the ceremony can be found on Learnscape.