‘Hold on to your values,’ Behrend spring commencement speaker says

ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Behrend awarded more than 600 degrees at the college’s spring commencement program, held May 9 at Erie Insurance Arena.

The ceremony included the first graduates of the Interdisciplinary Science and Business major, which prepares students to work on the business side of technology companies and healthcare organizations. The program — the first of its kind at Penn State — is jointly administered by the School of Science and the Black School of Business.

The college’s graduates were led onto the arena floor by student marshals — the students with the highest grade-point average in each of Behrend’s academic schools. This year’s marshals were:

• Alec Dennis, of Erie, who represented the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Matthew McDonough, of Pittsburgh, who represented the School of Science.
• Ali Ostowar, of Olomouc, Czech Republic, who represented the Black School of Business.
• Marley Persch, of Hudsonville, Michigan, who represented the School of Engineering.
• Alice Puzarowski, of Erie, who represented the Fox Graduate School
• Keri Saulino, of Bethlehem, who represented the Schreyer Honors College.

Tim NeCastro, president and CEO of Erie Insurance, gave the commencement address.

“Many of you have plans for what comes next,” he said, “but the reality is, those plans will change.

“What’s important is that you view changes as opportunities, not as setbacks," NeCastro added. "And when faced with changes, hold true to your values — to who you are and what matters to you.

“Hold on to your values, not your plans.”

Ken Louie, associate professor of economics and director of the Economic Research Institute of Erie, gave the faculty address.

“One of the first and most enduring lessons my parents taught my siblings and me is that, when you feel ignored and unnoticed, you should never feel discouraged,” he said. “Many times throughout your life, you will likely encounter occasions when you feel that, despite all you have done, despite how hard you have worked, despite how many personal sacrifices you have made, that you are still not receiving the attention and recognition that you think you deserve.

“In those moments of quiet loneliness and solitude,” he said, “I hope you will reflect on what my mom and dad — and, of course, Confucius — admonished us to do: ‘Do not worry that you are not noticed; seek instead to be worthy of distinction.’”