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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – One thousand, five hundred and eighty-three moments of accomplishment were celebrated this weekend at Salem State University as the school held its 215th commencement exercises.
A total of 1,583 degrees were conferred at Salem State University’s O’Keefe Sports Complex this past Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17 across three ceremonies, with two held on Friday and the third Saturday morning.
The proceedings kicked off Friday morning at 10 am, with the Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services awarding 438 degrees.
“Today, we gather here to celebrate a remarkable achievement—our graduation,” said Christopher DaSilva ’25, a criminal justice major and student address speaker at the first ceremony. “This moment is the collection of years of dedication, countless late nights, moments of doubt, and, ultimately, perseverance. Each of us has taken a unique path to arrive at this very moment, and today, we stand together, stronger than ever, ready to take on the next chapter of our lives.”
But those graduating this weekend didn’t get there alone, according to DaSilva.
“Behind each graduate is a network of support—our families, friends, professors, and mentors—who all encouraged us, believed in us, and reminded us of our strength when we needed it most. Of course this would not come without sacrifices,” DaSilva said. “My mother sacrificed her education in order to raise my sister and I, so you better believe I was not leaving here without my degree.”
Amya Enlow ’25, a political science graduate, also spoke heavily of support in her remarks addressing graduates of Friday afternoon’s ceremony for the Bertolon School of Business and College of Arts and Sciences. The ceremony saw the awarding of 575 degrees.
“Today, I stand before you as a composition of ideas, encouragement, and investments made by so many people, including all of you,” Enlow said. “And if I can offer any steadfast advice from this journey, it’s to say ‘yes’ to opportunities, because you never know where they might lead.”
But for Enlow, it isn’t enough to just wait for opportunities to arrive.
“As we leave here today, let us not simply wait for opportunities,” Enlow said. “Let’s create them. Let us not fear failure; let’s embrace it as part of our journey, because our success isn’t about having all the answers today—it’s about having the courage to step into the unknown, trusting ourselves and leaning on each other to figure it out.”
Friday’s ceremony was celebrated in unique fashion by the Goncalves family, who got to celebrate the graduation of media and communication graduate Sydney Goncalves with the return of her brother Tyller from his active deployment in the United States Air Force.
Friday’s ceremony was also paused during the conferring of degrees to recognize and honor Tam Nhi Le, an international graduate student who passed away last November. Her degree was posthumously awarded to her family, who traveled from Vietnam to witness the moment and accept the degree on her behalf.
Closing out the three ceremonies was Saturday morning’s commencement for the McKeown School of Education and College of Arts and Sciences, which awarded 570 degrees. Deborah Mariano ‘25G, principal of KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School, noted that the completion of her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in educational leadership marked the end of a journey that began in 2013, when she first started at Salem State University as an undergraduate student.
“Today marks the end of my final Viking voyage as an educational leadership graduate, closing a chapter that began all the way back in 2013—when I stepped onto this campus as a young girl with a dream, just hoping to become someone who could make a difference,” Mariano said. “I never could have imagined all the versions of myself I would become along the way—student, autism advocate, proud mom of two beautiful boys, and today, a newly appointed middle school principal.”
For that, Mariano stressed that her fellow graduates embrace the versions of themselves that may just be starting to emerge.
“As we graduate today, I want to leave you with one truth I’ve learned along the way: Every version of you—the dreamer, the doubter, the fighter—deserves a seat at the table,” Mariano said. “Don’t shrink who you are to fit where you’re going. Whether you’re stepping into a classroom, a boardroom, or somewhere brand new—bring all of you with you.”
The final ceremony Saturday morning also saw the awarding of an honorary degree to Carlos Santiago ’25H, retired commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
In his remarks to graduates, Santiago highlighted the extraordinary journeys each student embarked upon during their time on campus.
“You have earned your academic credentials during one of the most challenging periods any generation has faced,” Santiago said. “You adapted to the challenges and changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, the most severe public health crisis in our nation's history. Remember, a million people lost their lives in the United States to Covid-19 between 2020 and 2022.
“You have also achieved this amid perhaps the most significant upheaval in the foundations of our democracy in our lifetime,” Santiago continued. “Moreover, while the economy may be in for a correction, your perseverance and resilience will carry you through. You are among the most diverse graduating classes in New England as one-third of this graduating class self-identifies as a member of a racial or ethnic minority group. You reflect the changing future of this country.”
