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Sarah Lawrence College celebrated its 95th Commencement on Friday, May, 12 2023. Parents, families, and friends assembled under a tent in Westlands Lawn to cheer on the graduates, with many more joining from afar via a real-time via Livestream.
During her remarks, Sarah Lawrence College President Cristle Collins Judd touched on the unprecedented effect the pandemic had on this year’s graduates, and marveled at their ability to stay connected and stick together.
“When we gathered for a class toast at the start of this year as you returned to campus as seniors, your collective desire to come back together, to make this year vibrant, meaningful, and memorable, was palpable,” said Judd. “You have much to be proud of and your commitment to each other and your extraordinary efforts at building community are right at the top of the list.” Noting a student request to “use the longest string of adjectives” to describe the class, Judd called them “the indefatigable, irrepressible, compassionate, empathetic, creative, food-truck loving, generous, passionate, justice seeking, just-plain-smart class of 2023.”
Fresh off the Writers Guild of America picket line, TV producer, director, writer, creator, and this year’s Commencement speaker Bill Lawrence thanked the College for its support of writers and artists. And, much like he does with his beloved television shows, he delivered a heartfelt and humorous keynote address where he shared his rules for life. Among them: to be passionate about what you do and channel that same passion regardless of the task at hand. “We all want to write and tell our own story,” said Lawrence. “It’s easy to be passionate when you’re working on something that’s truly yours. The people that really excel work with that same passion on someone else’s “dream” project because they know what path they’re on.”
Lawrence—whose full name is William Van Duzer Lawrence IV—is the great-great grandson of William and Sarah Lawrence, the founders of the College.
An honorary degree was awarded to alumna Linda Earley Chastang '74, attorney and President and CEO of the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation. In 1982, at age 27, Chastang was the youngest, the only female, and the first black faculty member at Georgia State College of Law. Later, she became General Counsel in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) Washington office before going on to serve as Congressman John Lewis’ Chief of Staff, Counsel, and Associate Staff on the Ways and Means Committee.
“When we think of Sarah Lawrence College, we think ‘creatives,’‘creators,’ ‘create.’ We think dance, music, literature. None of which is my forte,” said Chastang. “But, Sarah Lawrence did teach me to create—to think broadly, to embrace diversity, to learn from and engage with diverse points of view, to be original in my analysis, to be inventive in finding solutions, to ask questions, to be honest in my answers... to go from an idea to a thing with confidence.”
The College’s Board of Trustees unanimously resolved to confer upon Chastang a Doctor of Laws (LL.D), honoris causa.
A celebratory reception was held on the campus’ North Lawn following the ceremony.
As part of this year’s Commencement exercises, the College held a Graduate Hooding ceremony on Thursday, May 11, in the Barbara Walter Campus Center. This event’s sole focus was on Sarah Lawrence’s masters candidates to recognize their unique achievements in pursuit of advanced degrees.
A full recap of Sarah Lawrence’s 95th Commencement and Graduate Hooding ceremonies, including videos and photos, is available here.