Legacies in the Making: Celebrating SNHU’s Class of 2024 at Commencement

More than 26,000 Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) graduates, friends and family members took to Manchester, New Hampshire, over the weekend.

Graduates, donning their graduation robes and decorated caps, spilled from the SNHU Arena with diploma covers, flowers and stuffed animals in hand. Restaurants and hotels up and down the nearby streets bustled in a way that happens a couple times each year: It was SNHU’s Commencement Weekend — the second one of 2024. 

Three in-person ceremonies were held on Saturday and Sunday in honor of the 4,500-plus degree recipients who made the trek to celebrate their transition from college students to college graduates.

Many also brought loved ones who inspired them to go back to school, and some had supporters watching globally from the ceremony livestreams.

From the initial discussion posts each term to the ‘ah-ha’ moments graduates had throughout their courses, Commencement was an opportunity for everyone to reflect on their journeys and celebrate hard-earned achievements.

“For each of you, this day represents the culmination of years of effort and dedication and passion,” said SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson.

After years of supporting Commencement Weekend as a member of SNHU’s Board of Trustees and later as the university provost, this fall marked the first ceremonies that Ryerson led as SNHU’s president.

A Weekend to Remember

New experiences were plenty throughout the weekend. Many graduates boarded planes and piled into cars to visit New Hampshire for the first time. Some took photos on the university’s Manchester campus — a place many had only seen online or on TV.

And of the 26,000-plus graduates eligible to participate in this fall’s Commencement ceremonies, many celebrated their first college degree. Some also had the honor of being the first in their families to do so.

“Among you, we have graduates who came to SNHU straight from high school and graduates who came back to earn their degrees after pausing their studies for years — graduates who studied online while being deployed, serving in the military,” Ryerson said. “And I met many parents this morning who juggled careers and children and still, like all of you, turned in their assignments every Sunday night.”

All these graduates joined those recognized during the Spring Commencement Weekend to make up more than 42,000 people in the entire SNHU Class of 2024.

During her address, Ryerson noted that they have the tools, knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to make a positive impact on society.

“Graduates, as you move forward from this day, know that our nation — indeed our world — is stronger because of you," she said. "You are not just SNHU graduates... You are the leaders. You are the change-makers who will shape our world in ways both large and small."

Writing Their Own Legacies

While the weekend may have been filled with “firsts,” the legacies the Class of 2024 has been building are nothing new. So many are years in the making.

“As I stand here today, I want you to know that I think about your individual journeys that have led each and every one of you to this day,” Ryerson said. “There are so many stories right now in this arena.”

One graduate from each ceremony was selected by a university committee to deliver a Commencement address.

'You Can Do Hard Things’

Alicia Carafone ’24, the student speaker for the first ceremony of the weekend, struggled her way through elementary, middle and high school and the standardized testing that came with it. And when a teacher disparaged her intelligence, she said the words stuck with her, and she eventually accepted them as the truth.

But then, while working at a local YMCA, Carafone realized she had become a role model for the children there — something she said she never imagined would happen. That, combined with encouragement from her friends, family and colleagues, led her to change her narrative.

“For the first time, I truly did begin to believe in myself,” she said. “What once was a loud haunting, inner voice reminding me that I may just be born inept, became a faint whisper, replaced with the phrase, ‘You can do hard things.’”

So, Carafone enrolled at SNHU to do just that with the help of her advisors and instructors — and she earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with academic honors. As she addressed her classmates during Saturday’s ceremony for business and STEM graduates, she reminded them that they've gained more than their diplomas.

“For many, this moment represents more than just earning a degree,” Carafone said. "It’s the realization of our potential growth and growth of confidence that we may not have had when we first enrolled.”

‘Each Small Step Brings You Closer to Your Goals’

It took the second ceremony’s student speaker, Sarah Bourque ’24, a whole lot of perseverance and self-belief to earn her degree, too.

After a lupus diagnosis at 14 years old, Bourque said she developed a severe addiction to the medication prescribed to her. Several years later, she attended what should have been her high school graduation with flowers for her friends — but she said she felt hopeless. She was unable to cross the stage herself after missing so much school.

“I didn’t realize my inner strength and determination would ultimately set me free,” Bourque said. “I found the support I needed to get well but still didn’t believe in myself.”

In her role as a special education paraprofessional, she said she emphasizes the importance of hard work — and got to work herself. She returned to school and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Addictions at SNHU with the highest academic honors, Summa Cum Laude.

When she finished her program, she didn’t just cross the stage. She stood behind the podium and shared her story with everyone attending Saturday afternoon’s ceremony.

“As you leave here tonight, remember each small step brings you closer to your goals,” Bourque said. “Use your experiences to guide you, and always remember, the only way to move a mountain is one stone at a time.”

‘We See How Powerful We Are’

While Ceisley Jefferson ’24G, the student speaker for the graduate degree ceremony, was plugging away at her Master of Science in Psychology, she suffered a serious stroke that landed her in the hospital for eight days.

Determined to carry on with her life, she started her next term at SNHU days after being released from the hospital. But she quickly realized the need to re-prioritize and made the decision to take a break.

“During my time away from school, I attended physical therapy. I struggled to remember simple words, and I visited eight different doctors — one of whom said it was a miracle that I could even speak,” she said. “Finishing my degree felt impossible.”

Despite all the signs telling her to give up, Jefferson didn’t. “If there’s one thing I’m really good at, it’s not listening,” she said. “Of course I chose to get up.”

As she stood before her classmates and all their families and friends during Sunday’s ceremony, Jefferson reflected on the adversity she — and many others — overcame on the way to earning a degree.

“In those challenging moments, we see how powerful we are,” she said. “SNHU taught us more than facts and figures; it taught us resilience, grit and how to thrive under pressure — qualities that will serve us far beyond these walls.”

The Class of 2024: A Mosaic of Stories

Across all three ceremonies sat graduates with unique stories of persistence and achievement. As students, they brought diversity to their courses, with graduates hailing from all 50 states and 58 countries.

Degrees were conferred across all four college levels:

• 3,500 associate degrees
• 17,200 bachelor’s degrees
• 5,600 master’s degrees
• 11 doctoral degrees

In addition to differing geography, cultures and degree types, there were nearly 7,000 military-affiliated graduates this fall. A majority of these service members, military spouses and veterans completed their degrees online, meaning their coursework could move with them.

The graduating class was also diverse in age, ranging from 16 years old to 90.

'If You Have a Dream, Don’t Just Set It Aside’

Annette Roberge ’24 began work on her degree at SNHU (then known as New Hampshire College) in the 1970s as a Gold Star wife. She had been widowed during the Vietnam War and was raising five children while taking classes on campus with the help of her late-husband's GI Bill.

After a few years of hard work, she needed to pause her studies to focus on being a mom. But earlier this fall, she contacted SNHU with a desire to finish her degree — and was met with great news: She had already completed enough credits to confer an associate degree.

Now, as a grandmother of 12 and great-grandmother of 15, Roberge can add an Associate of Science in Business Administration to her list of accomplishments.

“I advise if you have a dream, don’t just set it aside. Take every effort to get to it and finish it,” she said. "I had a dream, and I made my dream come true. So, you’re never too old to learn... It is so worth that day when you can actually say ‘I made it. I did it.’”

The Celebration Continues Virtually

For those who were unable to attend Commencement in Manchester, New Hampshire, a virtual celebration will take place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. ET.

Participants will hear from student speaker NaQuia Jones ’24, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies with a concentration in Liberal Arts, Summa Cum Laude.

They will also have their moment in the spotlight when their name is announced. Anyone who registers for the virtual Commencement will have an opportunity to personalize a slide with their name, photo and message of gratitude, which will be displayed during the ceremony.

As soon as a graduate’s degree confers, they are welcomed into the university’s alumni community that’s made up of 267,000 SNHU graduates. To mark this transition during Commencement, SNHU Alumni Board President Aarron Dupuis ’19MBA congratulated graduates on their accomplishments and encouraged them to stay involved in their alma mater.

“As you continue to celebrate your achievements, remember there may be another SNHU graduate at your workplace or living right next door to you,” Dupuis said. “Seek out and lean into your vast alumni network. Congratulations and good luck on your next chapter. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.”

Rebecca LeBoeuf Blanchette '18 '22G is a writer at Southern New Hampshire University, where she fulfills her love of learning daily through conversations with professionals across a range of fields. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing at SNHU’s campus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and followed her love of storytelling into the online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing at SNHU. Connect with her on LinkedIn.