4 Natives Graduate from Drew U.

MADISON, NJ -- Drew University awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree to the following students at its 145th commencement on May 18, 2013:

• Steven Floyd of Chatham

• Samantha Friedman of Chatham Twp.

• Emilia Domanowski of Chatham

• Brendt De St Paer of Chatham

Drew President Vivian A. Bull presided over the ceremony, which included a keynote address by Shakespeare scholar Frank Occhiogrosso.

Speaking to graduates, Occhiogrosso -- who is also a 43-year veteran of Drew English faculty -- paraphrased Ernest Hemingway, urging them to continue their involvement in mankind.

"Having done us all proud already, do not stop doing so," he said. "Never allow yourselves to say 'I've done my part; now it's someone else's turn.' It's never somebody else's turn; it's always yours."

Joining Occhiogrosso on the platform were honorary degree recipients Hedy Brasch, a Holocaust survivor and educator, and Edward Poitras G'66, a celebrated theologian and public intellectual who has earned high praise for his disaster relief efforts overseas.

Student addresses were delivered by Mi Ran Jeon, who earned a Master of Divinity degree, and Bachelor of Arts graduate Ian Smith.

Founded in 1867, Drew is a selective, independent, coeducational university with a total enrollment of more than 2,300 students in its College of Liberal Arts, Caspersen School of Graduate Studies and Theological School. Widely recognized for academic excellence and its tight-knit, diverse community, Drew is routinely listed among the nation's top colleges by the Princeton Review. Having won Rhodes, Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, Mashall and National Science Foundation scholarships, Drew students are among the best in the nation.