Muhammad Nashi earns degree from Clark University

WORCESTER, MA (06/13/2025)-- Muhammad Nashit, of Winchendon, Mass., received a degree from Clark University on Monday, May 19. Nashit graduated with a Master of Science in Project Management.

Clark awarded 468 undergraduate degrees and 1,014 advanced degrees during two ceremonies as part of the University's 121st Commencement exercises, held at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.

President David B. Fithian '87 urged the graduates to celebrate their accomplishments.

"For this day, smile upon yourself, applaud your achievements, reflect upon your growth, celebrate your friends and classmates and, perhaps most importantly, bask in the love of those here with you and for you," President Fithian said.

"All of us up here representing the trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and alumni are so proud of you, especially for overcoming all that you have had to in the past four years. We are smiling upon you, we applaud you, we celebrate you, and we thank you for sharing these years with us."

Esther Duflo, the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, delivered the Commencement Address during the bachelor's degree ceremony and was presented with the degree of Doctor of Laws.

"I have no advice for you as you embark on this task, but I have one plea. Do not let anyone convince you that the world is a Hobbesian dystopia where everything is zero-sum and wealth is the ultimate metric of success. It's not a place where there is a concentric center of caring, and beyond some radius, the value of others is zero. Think about this day, about how you got here, remember the kindness of many, and ask yourself what you can do to keep that going," said Duflo.

Temera De Groot, a first-generation college student who emigrated from Guyana when she was 10 years old and plans to pursue law school, spoke to her peers at the undergraduate ceremony.

NPR journalist Ari Shapiro spoke to the students receiving master's and doctoral degrees, and encouraged them to prioritize connecting with and helping those around them.

"All of us carry a baton that our ancestors handed us. And all of us will pass it to those who come after us. Wherever we are in that relay race, there are people we can help. So the question we need to ask is, 'How can I be helpful?'" Shapiro told the crowd.

Shapiro was presented with an honorary Doctor of Letters degree at the afternoon ceremony.

Kumar Gaurav, a first-generation college student from India who received his MBA, also spoke at the graduate ceremony.

President David Fithian concluded the day's celebrations and told the graduates, "I applaud you. I congratulate you. And I urge you to put to work - anywhere in the world you find yourself next - the knowledge you have developed and the skills you have honed here to address the challenges and opportunities we face as global citizens."

The University conferred 975 master's and 39 doctoral degrees to a class that included graduates from 41 states and 35 countries.

Jeff Alisauskas named to the Spring 2025 President's List at Hudson Valley Community College

TROY, NY (06/16/2025)-- Jeff Alisauskas of Winchendon was named to the Spring 2025 President's List at Hudson Valley Community College.

Alisauskas is studying in the Individual Studies academic program at the Troy, NY college.

Each fall and spring term, the college's President's List names those full-time students and part-time students registered for at least six college credits who have a term average of between 3.5 and 4.0 and who received no grade of "D," "F," "I," "Z," or "W" on their record for that term. Students must have completed at least 12 college credits successfully.

About Hudson Valley Community College:
Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College is the largest community college in upstate New York and offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs in three schools: Business and Liberal Arts; Health Sciences; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM); and also administers the Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training at no cost to those who qualify. One of 30 community colleges in the SUNY system, Hudson Valley enrolls more than 19,000 students in credit and non-credit courses and is a recognized leader in distance learning and workforce development. The college has more than 90,000 alumni. To learn more, please visit www.hvcc.edu.