Hundreds of Gabelli School of Business Graduates Recognized at Fordham University Commencement Exercises and School Diploma Ceremonies

Featured Events , Graduate , Undergraduate | May 29, 2024 | Gabelli School of Business

Celebrations Offered an Inspiring Sendoff for the Next Generation of Responsible Business Leaders and Innovators who Will Change the World

The Gabelli School of Business celebrated the accomplishments of hundreds of graduating students at the undergraduate and graduate level during Fordham University’s Commencement Ceremony held on Saturday, May 18, and at separate undergraduate and graduate Diploma Ceremonies, held on May 18 and May 21, respectively. 

Graduates at the Undergraduate Diploma Ceremony toss their caps in celebration at the conclusion of the event.

“As always, the Fordham Commencement Ceremony and the Gabelli School Diploma Ceremonies were joyous occasions that provided graduates with the opportunity to be recognized for their many accomplishments while celebrating with family members, friends, classmates, and faculty members,” said Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D., dean and George N. Jean Ph.D. chair. “It was a festive sendoff for our students who worked so hard to earn their degrees and fulfill their personal and professional goals. We are proud of each and every one of them and are confident that they will go on to become responsible business leaders and global citizens.”

The Undergraduate Diploma Ceremony took place at Moglia Stadium at Jack Coffey Field, directly after Fordham’s Commencement Ceremony. Parents, friends, and loved ones packed the stands to cheer on the graduates and to hear the names called of every degree candidate. While their majors differed, it was clear that these students shared a unique bond and purpose—to utilize their acquired knowledge and business skills as a catalyst for positive change.

Undergraduate Diploma Ceremony speaker, Grace Maietta, was deeply involved in community work during her time at Fordham and held leadership roles, serving as co-chair of the Special Events Committee for the Campus Activities Board; co-chair of the Live! at Fordham Committee for Campus Activities Board; and social media administrator and vice president of marketing for the Gabelli School of Business Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board. She acknowledged that her dream is to work behind the scenes at the Olympic Games in a capacity that is related to her career path in marketing, but more importantly, she hopes to be a successful woman in business who can champion other women as they strive to find their own path to success.

Fordham University Chief of Staff, Michael R. Trerotola; Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs, Dennis C. Jacobs; and President Tania Tetlow, joined Gabelli School of Business Dean Lerzan Aksoy; and New York City Economic Development Corporation President & CEO, Andrew Kimball (Ceremony Speaker), for a photo prior to the Graduate Diploma Ceremony.

During the Graduate Diploma Ceremony, held on Edwards Parade, the sentiment was similar, with an inspirational speech by Andrew Kimball, president & CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, who acknowledged that the Gabelli School’s mission of “being a leader in shaping leaders who are dedicated to responsible and sustainable business…is exactly what we need right now in this ‘New’ New York…this country…and the rest of the world.” He encouraged students to find career opportunities that would allow them “to do well AND do good.”

Graduate Diploma Ceremony Speaker Meet Patel, who earned an M.B.A. in marketing and served as the Graduate Student Advisory Council (SAC) president, delivered a truly meaningful speech—one that was deeply rooted in the lessons learned through the Gabelli School’s mission of using business as a catalyst for lasting and positive change. As he addressed his fellow graduates and an audience of thousands of well-wishers, he pondered, “Today, the world grapples with inequalities—economic, cultural, and social…but imagine if business became a bridge, fostering understanding and shared prosperity?” He continued, “We may be self-centered and self-preserving, or we may think of everyone’s prosperity and achieve it in a way that uplifts not just ourselves, but our communities.” Patel concluded, “Businesses can be powerful tools—not only for profit, but for creating a wave of positive change.”

Written by: Paola Curcio-Kleinman, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, Gabelli School of Business