The final class: Over 1,000 students graduate at Saint Rose’s last commencement

ALBANY, N.Y. — For the final time, more than 1,000 students walked across the stage Saturday morning at the MVP Arena to receive a diploma from The College of Saint Rose.

In December 2023, The College of Saint Rose President Marcia White announced that the Catholic college would cease academic instruction in June 2024 due to ongoing financial concerns and lower student enrollment.

Since its first graduating class of 19 women in 1924, nearly 50,000 students have graduated from the four-year college in the past 100 years, including those who received degrees at Saturday’s final commencement.

The College of Saint Rose was founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet as a Catholic college for women in the New York state capital of Albany.

The College of Saint Rose is a private, independent, coeducational college serving approximately 2,500 students in 31 bachelor’s degrees, 23 master’s degrees, 23 accelerated dual degree programs, 5 undergraduate certificates, and 16 advanced certificate programs.

More than 5,000 graduates and their families and friends were estimated to be in the crowd cheering on the last class, with many more watching the livestream link around the world.

“We are profoundly grateful to you for staying the course,” White said to the Class of 2024. “The entire Saint Rose community recognizes the grit, the determination, the hard work, and the courage that has led to this milestone achievement.”

College officials said the speakers were selected, and the program was developed with input from a committee of faculty, students, trustees, and administration representatives.

The college honored Sister Honora Margaret Kinney CSJ, G ‘66, ’61, professor emeritus of history, and Dr. Mary Ann Schultz McLoughlin, ’63, professor of mathematics, with the Carondelet Medal for their commitment to the Saint Rose tradition of the liberal arts and dedicated service to The College of Saint Rose.

The Carondelet Medal is the highest honor the college bestows and recognizes the individual for exceptional contributions to education, which, in the broadest sense of the word, is the passing on to others that one has received.

Joan Horgan, the college’s longtime director of Spiritual Life, delivered the commencement address.

Horgan has been an integral part of The College of Saint Rose community for 30 years, linking the values of the college’s founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, to the day-to-day academic and student life of the college.

Since 1993, she has been a guiding force in fostering faith, community service, and social justice initiatives. A native of Schenectady, Horgan holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Saint Rose and a master’s in social work from the University at Albany.

“Even when the structures and the buildings belong to someone else, what was, what is Saint Rose, will always be yours because you were not only part of the one percent of the people in the world who get to go to college, you were part of the even more privileged 50,000 that got to go to The College of Saint Rose,” Horgan said to the final graduating class while fighting back emotions.

In addition, two Class of 2024 student leaders also spoke. They were both members of the Commencement Planning Committee and were unanimously nominated to speak by the committee.

D’Andre Little ’23, G’24, received a master’s degree in computer science this year. He is a Student Association officer and student-athlete on the track and field team. He has also served as a resident assistant, orientation leader, and admissions tour guide. Little earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Saint Rose in 2023.

Laura Uribe G’24, who received a bachelor of social work (minors in sociology and public health) and an English-to-Spanish translation certificate, is the president of the Student Association, a BOLD Women’s Leadership Network Scholar and has served as an orientation leader and admissions tour guide. Laura will attend the University at Albany, pursuing her master’s in social work with advanced standing.

“The news of the college closing put a large amount of pressure on us to succeed in all that we do, all the way down to the last discussion post,” Little said during part of his speech, while also speaking about how he and his fellow students had to attend college during a global pandemic in 2020. “Regardless of everything we have faced, we still prevailed, we didn’t fall short of our dreams, and we managed to still shine.”

“Saint Rose has opened so many doors for us and has given us unconditional support as we become professionals in our career fields,” Uribe said to her fellow graduates. “There is truly no place like Saint Rose.”