It is an understatement that our students have had a very interesting, unprecedented, and sometimes tumultuous, couple of years just like the rest of society. Despite our best efforts to make things as easy as possible, it was impossible to completely replace the Old Normal even with modifications enhanced by virtual technology. Our students inevitably had bad days due to contending with circumstances beyond their control. They did their best to learn from home, and the staff tried their hardest to help them through this new territory. But over time…we started to tweak our way in the other direction that was heading toward what we were missing from pre-pandemic days. Sometimes there was false hope and other times it felt like we were finally back while praying things would stay that way for a while longer.

Allow us to proudly present the Class of 2022! Some of the students were supposed to graduate at least a year earlier but chose to remain in the program to get the full extent of a typical College Experience. Here are photos of them in their caps and gowns shortly before their graduation from the College of Saint Rose where masks were optional with no more social distancing thanks to the falling hospitalization rates. The students posed for these photos on the morning of Friday, May 13, 2022, and had a graduation party with their families on Friday evening at APEX Entertainment within the Crossgates Mall!

The students subsequently attended their graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at the MVP Arena (formerly the Times Union Center) located in Downtown Albany at 51 South Pearl Street; Albany, NY 12207 The Commencement Speaker this year was Sanjay Shrestha who is the general manager of energy solutions and chief strategy officer at Plug Power in addition to being a 1997 graduate of The College of Saint Rose. Mr. Shrestha received an honorary degree in recognition of his work implementing clean technologies such as green hydrogen and fuel cells. We have little doubts our students were inspired by what he had to say.

We wish our graduating students happiness and success wherever their paths may take them. They will always be welcomed back at the College Experience for visits regardless of whether they choose to continue in the Transitions Program or other auspices of Living Resources.