I Have No Idea Who She Is, But She Graduated From Fairfield University on Sunday (and Asked for a Pic). She Got It.

Truth is, she was in my group of students so her last name must end with an A - F. That's what I was assigned. She also brought a bottle of champaign but, as per the rules, I told her to withstand until after the ceremony. She obliged.

Yesterday was the undergraduate and graduate graduations (gradual, I know...it might be grading on you) at Fairfield University, so my Sunday began at 7:30 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. For those not living along the Sound, the temperature in the sun was 85 degrees with about 80% humidity. We were all in black and wearing mushrooms on our heads, so basically we incubated and cooked from within. When I got to my office at 5 p.m. and took off my robe, I was drenched from head to toe. My face was burnt, too.

Still, it was all worth it. Why? To hear Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J., Doctor of Humanities speak. Although we were frying on Bellarmine lawn, his words cooled us and made us more humane. Rev. Boyle is the executive director of Homeboy Industries, an agency that provides job training, education, and mental health services to form gang members in California. The way he eased his way into stories of working with marginalized communities and the importance for being men and women for others is something that inspired me to no end. He was genuine and spoke from the top of his head and the deepest part of his heart. Each tale he told reminded me why I prefer to do the work as I do it. There's a deeper calling and, as he pointed out, students don't come for our institutions. They eventually come from our institutions and have to have a moral responsibility to others after they leave. I loved it.

As for the supermodel pictured with me above (she called for duck faces, not me), I have to offer a few snaps. I loved her energy as we waited in line to wait in another line before we could wait to enter Bellarmine Lawn. Did I mention that it was like standing in a grill being slowly sautéed?

It doesn't matter, however, because the event was beautiful and memorable. The graduates deserve the recognition in honor of their hard work and trust in higher education.