Hunter’s 214th Commencement: The Class of 2017 Celebrates Its Achievements

On January 19 in Assembly Hall, Commencement began with a stirring rendition of the National Anthem. Stephanie Martinez, an exceptional singer about to receive her master's degree, lingered for several moments on the end of the phrase "land of the free."

And the stage was set for a ceremony filled with joy, meaning and pride.

President Raab's opening address paid tribute to the determination and hard-won achievements of all 700 members of the graduating class - noting that many had to hold one or more jobs while attending school. Also noting the graduates' diverse backgrounds, President Raab acknowledged the many relatives who'd traveled across oceans to attend the ceremony. Family members were there from five continents, she said, before welcoming those from China, Italy, India, Greece, Ecuador and Malaysia in their own languages. Then, joined by many in the hall, she topped off that welcome with a proud New York cheer.

The president also shared the inspirational stories of a number of students who'd overcome extraordinary challenges. And she reminded every graduate of the Hunter motto, Mihi Cura Futuri (The Care of the Future is Mine) - a motto that countless alumni have used as a moral and professional compass throughout their lives. 

Richard Stengel, the Commencement Speaker, received the President's Medal from two students whose families had immigrated to New York. He focused on America's history as a nation of immigrants -"united not by a common blood, religion or heritage, but a set of ideas," including freedom of religion, freedom of the press and other fundamental protections and principles.

Stengel, who recently ended his tenure as a State Department official, was the award-winning editor of Time before entering government. Earlier in his career, he collaborated with Nelson Mandela on Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.

"What does it mean to be an American? What is the American Dream?" Stengel asked the graduates. Then, highlighting the globally diverse backgrounds of the students and their families, he continued, "You literally are the American Dream."

Valedictorian David Kanbergs echoed those sentiments as he praised his classmates and professors and said, "Though we come from different cultures, different boroughs and a multitude of countries, we all came together here at Hunter. From our myriad individual paths we coalesced to become one single community - a distinctively beautiful microcosm of New York City, and really, of the world."

Click here to view photos from Hunter's 214th Commencement.