Photos: Dominick Totino\Andy Poon
Queens College held its first in-person commencement ceremony in two years on Thursday, June 2, at 9 am on the campus quad, with New York City Mayor Eric L. Adams as a speaker.
New York City Mayor Eric L. Adams was the first mayor to address graduates at a Queens College commencement since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2003.
Adams, who grew up in Queens, urged graduates to remain focused on their futures as they “leave these important places of higher learning.” He shared a word that he “embraces”—euthymia—explaining, “It’s a Greek word that means knowing your path and how to stay on it without allowing distractions to get in your way.” Recalling his difficult youth, he described his journey to success as “arrested, dyslexic, and now I’m elected—as the mayor of the city of New York.”
Recognized with the over 2,100 degree candidates in attendance were Danny Burstein ’86, Tony-winning star of theatre, film, and television, who delivered the commencement address, and Arturo Casadevall ’79, MD, PhD, renowned microbiologist and immunologist, a Cuban émigré who arrived in Queens at age 11. Burstein received the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, and Casadevall received the honorary degree of Doctor of Science.
Queens College President Frank Wu with Danny Burstein.
Queens College President Frank Wu with Arthuro Casadevall.
Other speakers were U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., CUNY Trustee Ken Sunshine, and Queens College Student Association President Zaire Couloute, who also graduated.
Among this year’s outstanding students were Karina Abou Orm Saab, who addressed her fellow graduates. Saab holds an MD from the Universidad de Carabobo in Venezuela and graduated with a BA in Political Science.
Michael Amrami is one of two Fulbright Award recipients this semester; he will pursue a master’s in public health at the University of Haifa in Israel.
Zainab Farooqi received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award, which is sending her to Korea, where she will assist English-language teachers in the classroom.
David Musheyev is among only eight university-wide recipients of the Jonas E. Salk Scholarship, one of CUNY’s highest honors.
Salk recipients are selected based on their demonstrated potential to make significant contributions to medical research. Please click here for the full commencement news release and a ceremony highlight video.
