A look at some of our remarkable graduates | Press Releases

Ricky Singh

Ricky Singh, an Indian and Hindu, graduated with a 4.0 gpa from Notre Dame High School. A resident of Bridgeport, he has been working 30 to 35 hours a week at Stop and Shop while maintaining nearly straight A's at Fairfield University.

Professors at Fairfield describe him as an incredibly hard-working and dedicated student - they say he sets the bar for other students in class. They say things like, "I haven't had a student like him in years," and "He's the brightest kid I've ever had."

Yesterday I had a chance to talk with Ricky and just had to ask him, what is it that makes you so driven, that makes you work so hard? This was his response:

His mother, who always wanted him to graduate from college, passed away from cancer when he was 13. She was unable to work the last few years because of her illness and so it seemed impossible that he would have the money to go to college. When he got a scholarship to Fairfield University it turned everything around. He had a 4.0 in high school and now he was being given "such a great chance to go to a university like Fairfield" and he was determined to "try my best and make my Mom proud."

He's not slowing down, either. He missed his induction ceremony into Phi Beta Kappa and the Arts and Sciences Awards Ceremony where he was awarded a prize for scholarly excellence in computer science, his major. This is because he is working as many hours as possible to pay for the 2-3 courses he wants to take this summer in the MBA program. He figures if he applies himself, he can finish the MBA in a little over a year.

Brigitta Schine

Brigitta Schine of Weston, Conn., was a top second-year student in engineering when her family decided to flee Romania and return to their homeland of Hungary. As part of the Hungarian minority in Romania, they had lived under Communist rule and the revolution in 1989.

After stints as an au pair in London (where she learned English) and the United States, a trip to visit family in Germany (where she learned German), she set her sights on finishing a college degree. Her bags were packed for the Sept. 12, 2001 flight to the U.S. when she watched on television the horror of 9/11 unfolding. It didn't deter her resolve to come to the United States to finish her academic dream. She completed two years at the top of her class at Norwalk Community College, before moving on to Fairfield University. On Sunday, May 22, the 32-year-old woman will graduate at the top of the Dolan School of Business class with a degree in finance and a job awaiting her at UBS. She says she couldn't have done it without her husband, Ed. Though they met during her first trip to the states, it wasn't until her second trip that they truly found each other. The couple was married last summer.

Elizabeth Devlin

Elizabeth (Lisi) Devlin of Rye, N.Y., who took a year off from her college studies to battle leukemia, will walk in the Fairfield University procession on Sunday, May 22, to receive her degree.

Following final exams sophomore year, Lisi went home pale and drawn. A blood test on June 1 confirmed she had leukemia. After chemotherapy treatments, doctors decided that a bone marrow transplant was her best hope. There were no matches among her relatives, but an unrelated donor was located and Lisi and her parents traveled to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in the state of Washington for her transplant, which took place on Oct. 30, 2002. They remained there for four months.

In the program, an unrelated donor and patient are not allowed to be revealed to each other until a year following the transplant.

Derrick Wood of Hopedale, Mass, had joined the bone marrow registry because of his wife's work at Floating Children's Hospital in Boston. He had been on the registry for more than 10 years before he got his first call, but he was not a close enough match. When he was found to be a match for Lisi, he took part in a new procedure where he took medicine that increased his white blood cells, which were then harvested for Lisi.

While in Boston for the procedure, he and his wife looked for a gift for Lisi. They looked at scarves and necklaces, and eventually settled on a bracelet they liked. When they inquired about it, they were told it was a Celtic knot bracelet and the symbolism of the Celtic knot is that we are all connected in some way.

Thinking the gift was perfect, they sent it along with the white blood cells to Seattle. When the box was opened, Lisi's parents, who are Irish, understood the symbolism immediately. The connection was punctuated by Lisi's doctor telling them he had never seen an unrelated donor who was such a close match.

On Oct. 30, 2003, Lisi's parents had a "New Birthday" party for Lisi and Derrick and his wife, the parents of four children, made the trip from Hopedale, Mass., to Fairfield and finally met Lisi. Derrick says that night was just unbelievable. The decision to be a donor was a family decision, he says, and they would do it again in a heartbeat.

Now, because of their generosity, Lisi will be graduating with a degree in communication. She will take a semester off before pursuing a graduate degree. In the meantime, she would like to do some volunteer work with young leukemia patients.

Rebecca Robinson

Rebecca (Becky) Robinson of Westborough, Mass., will gradate this Sunday, May 22, from Fairfield University, the last of 10 children of Kenneth and Marsha Robinson to be given the opportunity to go to college. Kenneth Robinson, a letter carrier for the Worcester Branch of the U.S. Post Office, worked long hours and put off his retirement to assure that each of his children had the opportunity he didn't have to obtain a college degree.

Rebecca is the fourth in the family to earn a Fairfield U. degree: others are Patrick '99, Ryan '03 (also MBA '04), Russell '05, who is enrolled in the five-year engineering program and is now at Columbia as part of that program. In addition, Becky has a niece attending Fairfield.

Becky graduates with a double major in politics/communication and plans to work in Washington, D.C.

Former basketball player scores big by earning his B.A. Degree

After beginning his college degree 25 years ago as a standout basketball player at Fairfield University, Bobby Hurt will score his greatest college points on Sunday (May 22) when he is awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional studies from the school where it all began, thanks in part to the development of the internet.

In recalling his college career that began in 1980, he says he "did not disappoint on the court, but my classroom commitment came up a little short." A few years ago he contacted then-President Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., who, Bobby says, "granted me the opportunity I waited very long for." Working with Associate Dean Margaret Glick of Fairfield's University College for part-time students, Bobby was able to complete his 15 missing credits with online courses.

It's a goal Bobby's former coach, Terry O'Connor is happy to see him reach. Now executive director of the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport, O'Connor remembers Bobby as "a great kid who worked hard on and off the court." He has been in touch with Bobby over the years and always hoped he would reach the number one goal Fairfield had set for him - to graduate.

The degree has become especially important to Bobby because of his work as a crisis counselor at Hillside Elementary School in Montclair, N.J. And yes, he hasn't lost his love of the game - he is also a coach for the Montclair High School basketball team.

"I have had many peaks and valleys over the years, but May 22nd will be a very rewarding day," he says. "I thank everyone at the University!! I will be graduating at the ripe old age of 43!!"