KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� April 30, 2025 鈥� Among the numerous speakers graduates will hear from during the 成人直播鈥檚 spring commencement weekend, none may be more meaningful to them than those who have shared the journey with them, literally or figuratively.
Last spring, as the University rolled out a new commencement format instituting individual ceremonies for each academic college, student speakers were included in each commencement, sharing their individual, and often universal, experiences. This month 鈥� as 成人直播 celebrates the achievements of about 3,300 graduate and undergraduate degree recipients 鈥� student commencement speakers will again be a big part of the pomp and circumstance in the eight ceremonies during commencement weekend, May 16-18. All ceremonies will be held in the Ryan Center on the Kingston Campus.
This spring鈥檚 student commencement speakers are: Puja (Diya) Banerjee, Lucia Caito, Colby Constantine, Jennifer Melgar, Klara Nelander, Lauren Peckham, Joceline Rodrigues, Sarina Thapar, and Helene Tjoumakaris.
Helene Tjoumakaris, a nursing major from Egg Harbor, New Jersey, will address the first celebration of the weekend鈥搕he College of Nursing commencement at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 16. After graduation, Tjoumakaris will return home to take the National Council Licensure Examination and start her job as a trauma ICU nurse in Atlantic City.
鈥淎ddressing my fellow graduates is both an honor and a privilege,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ach of us has our own story of how we chose this path and I am grateful to have been chosen to share mine. Nursing school challenged us and brought us together, and I鈥檓 proud to celebrate all we鈥檝e accomplished as a class. As someone who grew up doing theatre, it feels like a full-circle moment to be ending my academic career on stage with a speech.鈥�
Lucia Caito of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in human development and family science, will address the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony on May 16 at 2 p.m.
鈥淲e鈥檙e graduating college at a time marked by great unpredictability and rapid change. As we approach this threshold, I want my fellow graduates to feel committed to listening to others with empathy,鈥� said Caito, who will pursue a master鈥檚 degree in couple and family therapy next fall at 成人直播.
On Saturday, May 17, Lauren Peckham of East Haddam, Connecticut, will address the College of Health Sciences ceremony at 9 a.m. Peckham, who graduates with honors while carrying majors in psychology, criminology/criminal justices, and political sciences, will attend Quinnipiac University School of Law on full scholarship after graduation.
鈥淭his chance to address my fellow graduates is more than just giving a speech鈥搃t鈥檚 an opportunity to share the wisdom passed down to me by the incredible mentors and people who鈥檝e shaped my journey,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a chance to carry forward the lessons I鈥檝e learned, especially from Maureen McDermott, whose impact on my life continues to guide me. It鈥檚 also a moment to encourage reflection: to inspire my peers to pause and appreciate how far they鈥檝e come and to honor the people and experiences that helped them get there.鈥�
Jennifer Melgar of Providence, who majored in elementary education with minors in psychology and human development and family science, will address the Feinstein College of Education ceremony at 2 p.m. After 成人直播, she will go on to teach in elementary school and pursue a master鈥檚 degree in human development and family science.
鈥淕raduation to me is a declaration of possibility. It鈥檚 proof that despite every obstacle, I belong in this space,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a promise to my students that their identity is something to be celebrated, not hidden. When I walk across that stage, I am walking not just for myself, but for every child who鈥檚 ever felt unseen in the classroom. I鈥檓 walking as a multicultural educator who is committed to building bridges, breaking barriers, and being the kind of teacher I once needed.鈥�
Joceline Rodrigues and Puja (Diya) Banerjee will each address the commencement for the graduates of the College of the Environment and Life Sciences and the Graduate School of Oceanography on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Rodrigues of Norwich, Connecticut, a first-generation student who immigrated to the U.S. from Praia, Cape Verde, majored in biology and sociology and graduated with honors. After time off, she plans to apply to medical school. But first, she will use her gap years to gain research and clinical experience while traveling.
鈥淕raduation for me is powerful. I am doing something my mother didn鈥檛 have the opportunity to do,鈥� Rodrigues said. 鈥淕raduating for me is showing that hope can take you far. My mom immigrated from Cape Verde as a single mother with four children at age 38. She was constantly faced with barriers. For me, getting up on that stage isn鈥檛 just me graduating, it鈥檚 the manifestation of my mother鈥檚 sacrifices. It is also the manifestation of the love that the rest of my family has poured into me.鈥�
Banerjee, who is from Agartala, a city in the Indian state of Tripura, will be graduating with a Ph.D. in oceanography from the GSO, and plans to pursue a career where she can apply her research, data analysis, and project management skills beyond academia.
She says graduation is the culmination of years of hard work, resilience, and constant pursuit of knowledge. 鈥淎lthough it certainly feels like a sudden void, especially when you鈥檝e been working towards a goal for so long, it also gives us the courage to step into new challenges and embrace new dreams,鈥� she added. 鈥淕raduation reminds us that every ending is also a beginning, filled with new opportunities to redefine ourselves and our paths.鈥�
Klara Nelander of Malmo, Sweden, who is graduating with a degree in finance while also playing on the 成人直播 tennis team, will address College of Business graduates on Sunday, May 18, at 9 a.m. She plans on taking a gap year to 鈥渆xplore the different areas of finance and travel鈥� before applying to graduate school.
鈥淗aving the opportunity to address my fellow graduates is super exciting and truly an honor,鈥� said Nelander. 鈥淢y time at 成人直播 has shaped me into the person I am today, and being able to share some of the things I’ve learned feels like a way of giving back to a community that has meant so much to me. Coming in as a freshman four years ago, I never could鈥檝e imagined myself doing this today, and I’m hoping to inspire everyone that you鈥檙e truly able to do anything you set your mind to.鈥�
Sarina Thapar of Monroe, New Jersey, who will graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, will address the College of Pharmacy ceremonies on Sunday at 1 p.m. After graduation, she will join Cencora as a pharmacovigilance, epidemiology, and risk management specialist.
鈥淕raduation is a time to celebrate and reflect on all our hard work throughout the sleepless nights, years of dedication to our studies, and creating lifetime friendships,鈥� said Thapar. 鈥淚 hope everyone listening to my speech can take away that this is just the beginning. The path to learning is never-ending. Health care is ever-evolving, and we are the backbone of the future.鈥�
On Sunday evening, Colby Constantine of Leicester, Massachusetts, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering with a minor in pharmaceutical manufacturing, will speak to College of Engineering graduates at 5 p.m. After graduation, he will pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware, with plans to become a research and development scientist focusing on the next generation of therapeutics that can reach currently untreatable diseases by overcoming the limitations of current drug-delivery technologies.
鈥淕raduation is a celebration of growth, whether that be academic, personal, and/or professional,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t represents not only the culmination of years of hard work, but also the start of a journey where we get to use our skills to make a real difference in the world.鈥�
To learn more about 成人直播鈥檚 Commencement Weekend or to view a full schedule of ceremonies, visit: .