Fairfield University awards 1,179 degrees to Class of 2006 | Press Releases

Valedictory Address
Commencement Address

British Robinson, former national director of the Office of Social & International Ministries and Jesuit Refugee Services/USA at the U.S. Jesuit Conference in Washington, D.C., and now senior advisor for public-private partnerships, Office of U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, urged graduates to live passionately and create a better, more generous world during her commencement address to the 56th graduating class at Fairfield University. Robinson received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, along with three other distinguished honorees: Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; Michael J. Daly, of Fairfield, Conn., a decorated World War II veteran and longtime board member of St. Vincent's Medical Center; and Hope E. Carter, of New Canaan, Conn., a tireless community advocate and philanthropist.

"Follow your passion and you will end up where you belong. Don't worry if things get out of control, or if life throws you a curve, Make the best decisions you can, accept life as it comes, and you will be surprised: Mighty forces will come to your aid," said Robinson.

Touching on the Jesuit ideal of being men and women for others, Robinson said, "I am here today because I am a testament to how each of us, by doing simple things, without thought of reward, can have the same influence as those we consider important and powerful."

Beth Wittenberg, of Mount Sinai, N.Y., delivered the University's valedictory address, telling her classmates to stay open-minded and embrace change in their lives.

"Fairfield University, as a Jesuit institution, forces us to look at ourselves, to ask questions, and to explore," she said. "It is necessary for us to take this open-mindedness and sense of hope with us. We have learned to discern which voices to listen to and which to ignore. We must not become slaves to the voices that call us to conform, consume, and cash in on our talents."

The University awarded 1,179 degrees to the Class of 2006, including 830 bachelor's degrees, 328 master's degrees, 19 certificates of advanced study and 2 associate's degrees. The University conferred four honorary degrees, recognizing individuals who have devoted their lives to others.

British Robinson , earned an undergraduate degree in public policy/business administration at Mount Vernon (now George Washington University) in 1989 and sharpened her business know-how in the private sector before bringing those skills to the nonprofit world two years later. She also worked with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. In 1994, Robinson joined the Social and International Ministries Office of the U.S. Jesuit Conference as a policy analyst and was later named as the agency's national director, a position she held for 10 years. During that time, she earned a master's degree in government at Johns Hopkins University and served on the Board of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Jesuit Refugee Services/USA. In 2006, she accepted her current post at the State Department.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore , Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, is a native of Cuneo, Italy and was ordained a priest in 1977. He earned a master's degree in theology at the Center of Theological Studies in Fosano, Italy, and holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University. He joined the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1980. He has served in Europe and the Middle East and was once in charge of fostering relations with several Asian countries that had no formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See. He has also been the Holy See's representative to numerous conferences held across Europe on issues related to the World Trade Organization, the Economic Commission for Europe, the European Union and the Middle East.
Michael J. Daly , of Fairfield, Conn., was just 20 when President Harry Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, reserved for those who distinguish themselves by gallantry and intrepidity in battle, risking their lives above and beyond the call of duty. During WWII, only 464 of the approximately 16 million who served the military received the high honor. In the middle of the night on June 6, 1944, he went ashore with his regiment in the second assault wave at Omaha Beach. In the days ahead, his commanding officer would comment on the "many occasions he exposed himself to the enemy and took chances with no apparent regard for his life." Wounded in a mortar round later that year and nearly killed during a battle in the war's last months, Daly left the battlefield as a captain and, in addition to the Medal of Honor, received three Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He returned to his hometown of Fairfield and built a business of supplying auto accessories to oil companies. Daly has served for 34 years on the board of directors of St. Vincent's Medical Center, seven of them as chairman of the hospital's Foundation. The Connecticut Hospital Association presented him with its 2001 CHA Honorary Membership award.
Hope E. Carter, of New Canaan, Conn., has devoted her life to people in need. She has supported the Order of Malta's outreach programs, especially those in Haiti, including Project Venerable Pierre Toussaint, a program for street children directed by Fairfield alumnus Doug Perlitz. In her parish of St. Aloysius, Carter organized the 16-year-old Christmas Star program, which provides Christmas meals and presents for 400 families and more than 700 individuals from Waterbury, Norwalk, Stamford and Bridgeport, Conn., and the South Bronx, N.Y. In the Diocese, she has served on the boards of the Faith in the Future Foundation and the Inner City Foundation for Charity and Education. A former member of the board of the Education Parish Service in Washington, she initiated the Canterbury School's Urban Plunge program, which allows students to live in inner-city Bridgeport and experience the life of the sick and poor. A graduate of Manhattanville College, Carter taught kindergarten and fourth grade and is the mother of 12 children and grandmother of 32.

The Saint Ignatius Loyola Medal for outstanding University service was awarded to John Clancy Gallagher III of Stratham, N.H. Brennan K. Clark of South Hadley, Mass., received the Bellarmine Medal, which is given to the student with the highest four-year academic average.