Spring 2025 Commencement Planned for Plattsburgh State Field House May 17

Close to 1,000 SUNY Plattsburgh undergrad and graduate students are eligible to participate in one of three commencement ceremonies being held Saturday, May 17 at the university field house beginning with the School of Arts and Sciences at 9 a.m.

That ceremony will be followed by ceremonies for students in the School of Business and Economics at noon and the School of Education, Health and Human Services at 3 p.m.

Dr. Alexander Enyedi, university president, will preside over all, welcoming graduates, their friends and families after being led to the dais by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pipes and Drums and Dr. Mohamed Gaber, distinguished service professor of accounting, as the mace carrier.

Conferring of Degrees

Dr. Marcus Tye, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, will present and confer degrees upon students receiving their bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and certificates of advanced study.

As is custom, each school will hear from a member of their graduating class, who will give their remarks to classmates. Speaking on behalf of Education, Health and Human Services will be Nikki Harrison; Jessica Mare will address the School of Business and Economics; and Sushankita Rao will speak to classmates in the School of Arts and Sciences.

Nikki Harrison

Harrison, a childhood education/special education major from Fort Ann, N.Y., transferred to SUNY Plattsburgh “because (SUNY Plattsburgh) accepted all of my transfer credits and were able to fit them into my degree program.”

Plattsburgh “also offered the combined bachelor of science/master in education program, which allowed me to maximize my time and graduate as quickly as possible to start a career as an educator with many different options,” she said.

Harrison plans to continue working in education, advocating for students “to receive the best education possible, both inside and outside of the classroom.”

Being given the chance to address her classmates meant a lot to her, she said.

“I have a unique perspective on life comparatively, simply because I have lived more life than most of my classmates (as a non-traditional, older student),” Harrison said. “I have often been sought out for advice or insight by my classmates, and I feel that this affords me the opportunity to give them one more solid parting piece of advice that I hope they remember as they journey through life.”

Jessica Mare

Mare, a Deer Park, N.Y., native, is a business administration and global supply chain management major who also is a transfer student.

“I had a loss in my family,” she began. “Losing someone very dear to me left me feeling the need for change, and I realized I needed a fresh start. During my search for a new school, I had the opportunity to showcase myself at a soccer scrimmager, and it was then that the former head coach of the team took an interest in me.

“She reached out, and as I learned more about the school through her and a few others, It quickly became clear that SUNY Plattsburgh was the right place for me,” Mare said. “The welcoming atmosphere and the chance to continue my passion for soccer felt like the perfect opportunity to heal and grow. Looking back, transferring to this school has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.”

Mare plans to pursue a career in global supply chain management within the healthcare system.

“I am passionate about ensuring that hospitals and healthcare facilities around the world have timely access to the medical supplies their staff needs to provide quality care,” she said. “My goal is to help build more efficient, reliable supply chains so that doctors, nurses, and EMTs can focus on saving lives.

“I hope to support frontline healthcare workers by helping them improve access to supplies, especially in communities that don’t always have easy access to care.”

She’s grateful to have been chosen commencement speaker for the School of Business and Economics, saying that the honor “is a reminder that every late night studying and doing homework, every challenge, and every step forward has been worth it. It’s incredibly humbling, and I am so grateful for this opportunity, not just as a personal milestone but as a way to celebrate everything we’ve been through and how far we have all come together.”

Sushankita Rao

Rao, an international student who hails from Pune, India, came to SUNY Plattsburgh as a biomedical sciences major and chemistry and neurobiology minor.

“I chose SUNY Plattsburgh because of the sense of a tight-knit college community and the opportunity  to work closely with passionate and dedicated faculty,” Rao said. “It made me believe that this campus is where I could flourish academically and personally.”

Rao plans to further her education by attending SUNY Stony Brook for her master’s degree in neuroscience and hopes to continue on to a Ph.D. in neuroscience as well.

Representing her classmates in the School of Arts and Sciences “is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Rao said. “I was filled with joy and honor when I first heard the news (of being selected commencement speaker).”

She wanted to take the opportunity to express “my gratitude to everyone who made this journey possible,” she said. “All I hope is that my speech takes each and every student down memory lane, as we all have worked very hard to achieve this milestone.”

All three ceremonies culminate with the traditional moving of the tassels, which will be led by Kalema Gooding, president of the SUNY Plattsburgh Student Association, and the new graduates will be welcomed into the Plattsburgh Alumni Association by Class of 1994 alumnus Matthew Veich, first vice president of the association.

More information, including times, protocol and ticketing details as well as information on the live stream of each of the three ceremonies can be found at: https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/commencement/index.html.

— Story, Photos by Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs