Well, I auditioned to speak at graduation. I wasn’t chosen to represent the St. Bonaventure Class of 2015, so I would like to share what would’ve been spoken by me at the 155th Commencement exercise if I was chosen. Here’s to the last 4-years.
Sr. Margaret, Provost Fischer, distinguished faculty, families, and fellow graduates, good morning and welcome to St. Bonaventure University’s 155th commencement exercise. My name is Michael John Loffredo, many call me by Fredo, and I represent one of the many voices of this graduating class. The class of 2015.
Five years ago when my family and I began to look at colleges, I had no idea where I was going to end up. I just knew that I wanted to major in Journalism and Mass Communication, and leave in four years ready to pursue a job in sports broadcasting.
I visited schools such as SUNY Binghamton (which was too big,) SUNY Oneonta (which was WAY too small,) Marist College (which was too far,) John Carroll University (which had too many kids from my high school already planning on going there) and then St. Bonaventure University (the perfect fit.)
When I stepped onto this gorgeous campus I got that gut feeling that this was the place I would call home for the next four years of my life. The people were so friendly, the campus was clean, and the Hickey had brick oven pizza. Come on. Don’t lie. Everyone loves brick oven pizza… Anyway this place just jumped out to me from the second I passed the first stop light in Allegany.
It was kind of strange how I found out about St. Bonaventure, actually. As a Canisius High School graduate from Buffalo, NY, one would think I would’ve had some inkling to what St. Bonaventure University was all about. I didn’t even know this place existed. One day I was walking down the hall at Canisius in the middle of February, struggling with my studies and the whole college search thing. Tom Durante, who was an admissions counselor here at the time, came up to me from behind and said, “Hey, my name is Tom Durante. Are you Mike Loffredo?” Of course, I said yes. He responded by saying how he was an admissions counselor at St. Bonaventure University and that he wanted to talk to me.
I wasn’t an athlete in high-school, so I knew this wasn’t a recruitment trip, but I thought maybe he came to one of the Canisius High School football games to hear me do the Public address announcing. Who knows, a good voice could get recruited… Couldn’t it?
Jumping ahead, we sat in the guidance office and he was telling me about the school. I asked him where Bonaventure was located, and he told me that it was just about an hour and a half away about 30 minutes from Ellicottville. “It is in Olean NY,” he said…
Before Tom said that, I thought he was going to say that St. Bonaventure was in California. Don’t ask why or how I didn’t know this seeing that I am from Buffalo, which is only70 miles away up the 219.
So continuing our talk, he gave me a free application. I filled it out. And then a few weeks later I got a big acceptance package in the mail, which included a class t-shirt. I was all excited, as any high-school senior is when they get accepted into a school. After this I took the next step to check this place out. I attended spring into Bonas. And that is where I fell in love.
At Spring Into Bonas, I sat in on Journalism classes and spoke with Paul Wieland and Carole McNall, two professors within the Jandoli School of journalism and mass communication who are here today. Paul told me all about SBU-TV as well as the Koop Lab and I became hooked. All of the opportunities presented to me on that day made me feel extremely comfortable and excited for the future. I saw that my dreams could truly become a reality here at St. Bonaventure, and with enough perseverance and hard work, I could trulybecome extraordinary.
I signed the dotted line on that Sunny morning in April of 2011. I became a Bonnie. And even after graduating today, I will forever remain a Bonnie because guys, you know what they say…
Once a Bonnie… Always a Bonnie.
Michelle Nanni, a graduating sports studies major, and Casandra Nguyen, a graduating Journalism/Mass Communication major, both originally had no plan or interest in attending St. Bonaventure, like myself. “The small class sizes in the middle of no where did not seem too appealing” to either of them. For Michelle, she wanted to be close to her home in Oakfield, NY. She was primarily looking at schools in Buffalo, and the community colleges that were in her surrounding neighborhoods. It wasn’t until a 1-on-1 tour and a talk with her sister, a 2004 Bonaventure graduate that made her realize she loved this school. According to Michelle, and many other graduates today, Bonaventure became her second home. For Casandra, she was ready to enroll at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, but not before St. Bonaventure caught her heart. Casandra and her parents thought a change in scenery would be good for her. In her words, “those small class rooms in the middle of no where” and the friends that she made are the reasons that she made it to this point, the moment where she will graduate from St. Bonaventure University.
Let me just say this. I am happy that you all became hooked like Michelle, Casandra, and myself did, because I could not imagine a college experience without any single person in this building today.
St. Bonaventure seems to be that school that isn’t on anybody’s radar, but the second that you finally look at Bonas and give it a chance you become hooked into the culture, the Franciscan ideas, and the values that this small school near Olean, NY has to offer.
Four years ago in August we were all lost, worried, freshmen college students. In our time here we grew, we matured, we learned many valuable aspects to life, and we learned what it means to be a part of a family.
St. Bonaventure University taught me what it means to be a man. Four-years ago, I was an 18-year-old, immature, childish, human being who hated school. Today, I leave here a mature, loving, and caring young man who is ready to tackle every aspect of what tomorrow holds.
Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and author, noted that “if there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Over the past 4-years at this university, we put in hard-work, dedication in the classroom, and extra-curricular activities to get to the finish line, which is where we are right now. Fellow classmates, we are at the end of our 4-year journey. Progress was made through the struggle, but the opportunities that we all will have after graduating from this university are endless.
After the four-year journey here at St. Bonaventure, I am sure that we can all attest to how true this statement is. Whether it was struggling through your course work, life away from home, or the roommate that the school matched you up with freshman year. Through resulting from these challenges, we became stronger, and more intelligent.
Today, as we gather with family, friends, and faculty to commemorate the past four years and to reminisce about our formative college experiences, let us reflect on who we have become and who we ultimately can become.
Close your eyes for a minute. Lets go back to 4-years ago when we were freshman moving into Rob-Fal, and Loughlen, with our lanyards around our necks. Those hot, muggy rooms in the center of campus are where it all began. Friendships were formed. Bonds were made. From all the group walks to class, and to the hickey, we defined the purpose of being a member of the St. Bonaventure community.
The main aspect of being a Bonnie, as many of you already know, is family. A 1997 graduate, who currently resides in South Florida gave this definition of what a Bonnie truly is. “A Bonnie is not an animal, a tree, or a fruit. How do I explain that it’s the Franciscan values that infect each one of us like an autumn day that makes a Bonnie. That each of us, combined, embodies what it means to be a Bonnie. That we are a school created by its people and held together by our values. We are the community. Each of us, together, creates the whole. And what we are together is so great that the love and pride we have is not something we wear on our sleeves. Instead, together, we wear our heart on a mountain.” From today on, when future employers and new friends ask “what’s a Bonnie?” Reply, “I am a Bonnie.”
Today, as we prepare to move toward the future, it is extremely important that we hold onto our support networks—those who have encouraged and grounded us throughout the past four years.
First, we must acknowledge those who helped make our college experiences possible. To everyone in attendance today: especially to our parents, guardians, mentors and other family members. Thank you for making sacrifices over the past four years to make this experience possible for us all. Without all of your guidance, love and support, we would not be here today ready to graduate from such a prestigious university. I think I can speak on behalf of the rest of my classmates when I say we need your continued support as we embark on our future endeavors. Tomorrow starts the beginning, to what hopefully for us all is, a long, illustrious career. Thank you for all you have done over the past 4-years to make today possible.
Classmates, we worked our tails off here for the last four years to get us ready for tomorrow. After all that work, and long nights spent in various club rooms writing papers or editing stories for the 9 am newscast, why then should we look for a life of comfort and ease after receiving our degrees andplunging into the “real world?”
Never get tired of working toward achieving your dreams and never, EVER sell yourselves short. We have all the components that we need to succeed in this world, and it is all thanks to this university.
We have a responsibility to our communities, to our world, no matter our majors or aspirations. Whether we are in medicine, marketing, journalism, communications, management, theater, education or finance it simply doesn’t matter. We must not solely focus on selfish ideals, prestige, or aspirations of appearance—rather, beginning when we walk across this stage we must challenge ourselves to be civically engaged and immersed in our culture. Today we become extraordinary.
Life after college should not be about living quiet lives. The challenge is to take these past four years, the connections made, the unique passions, to take this degree and to do something relevant and positive with it. Make a big splash in this world and let everyone know who you are. Let them know what the Bonnies are all about.
I thought a quote from the movie Accepted deemed to be fitting to today’s festivities and our 4-year journey. Bartleby Gaines, founder of the fake school “South Harmon Institute of Technology” had this to say about his school in an attempt to get South Harmon accredited. Of course, I added a bit of Bonnies flair. “We’ll never stop learning, and we’ll never stop growing, and we’ll never forget the ideals that were instilled in us at this place. We’re Bonnies now and We’ll Be Bonnies forever and nothing you say or do can take that away from us”.
Today is our last day as undergraduates, and as we prepare for what the future holds starting tomorrow, hold on to the words of Frederick Douglass, remembering “if there is nostruggle, there is no progress.” The progress in our own communities, in our world, and in our everyday lives can only happen when brilliant minds like ours decide to become engaged.
Classmates, in our acceptance envelopes four years ago, we received a t-shirt. Printed on those t-shirts was a phrase. That phrase was “Class of 2015, Start living your dream.” Fellow classmates, and friends celebrate your accomplishments over the next few days, but continue to be special. Continue to be different and to make a difference. Spread the life lessons that were instilled in us here at St. Bonaventure. Never forget your routes. We will always be Bonnies. Now, go out there and set the world on fire. This world isn’t ready for the class of 2015... Start living that dream we set out to create four years ago.
Congratulations, friends. I love you all. We made it! In the words of Dr. Paula, “Go Bonas.”
Michael Loffredo 