SOUTH HADLEY — The Zulu concept of Ubuntu shone brightly on the 550-strong graduating class of 2016 at the Mount Holyoke College commencement on Saturday.
Commencement speaker Dr. Joia Mukherjee said that concept, which means “I am because you are,” is what drives positive change.
Her speech questioned the legitimacy of traditional hegemony. “I stand before you, fellow Blue Lions, a proud disruptor of hegemony,” she said.
Mukherjee said we are in a world “ripe for social change.” She thanked the college for its recent decision to admit not just biological female students, but applicants who identify as women.
“In your fight for transgender people, thank you for that disruption,” Mukherjee said. “When this college was founded, the idea of educating women was radical.”
Mukherjee said it’s important to listen and cited her work in international medicine, the African HIV/AIDS crisis, and food security in Third World countries. “Listening is the most important act of social justice” in ensuring people get what they need, not what they’re told they need, she said.
Lynn Pasquerella, president of Mount Holyoke College, spoke to families and friends of graduates at the ceremony. “Let me say that your pride in these graduates matches our own,” she said.
Saturday’s commencement was her last. Pasquerella, who graduated from Mount Holyoke in 1980, will leave the college to lead the Association of American Colleges & Universities. “Just like you, I leave to take the next step and face new challenges,” she said.
Areeba Kamal, who graduated with high honors in international relations, gave the student address. “Together,” she said of her graduation class, “we span 37 countries and 38 U.S. states.”
She focused on the accomplishments of the class of 2016. “The truth is we belong here and we always will. When we were exhausted beyond belief, we stopped fearing change and created it.”
Before the ceremony, eager students and families awaited, buzzing with excitement and optimism.
Nadim Mahmud, of Boston, came to see his niece Zeeshan Margoob graduate. “It’s a place with great history,” he said of the Mount Holyoke campus. “It’s beautiful, quiet, and embedded in nature.”
Sandra Hutchinson, of Boston, attended to see her daughter Kelsey graduate. “The school allowed her to explore areas she wouldn’t have otherwise,” she said. “It’s gorgeous … a beautiful campus.”
Patty Pruden-Lennox, of Medway, boasted about her niece’s accomplishments at Mount Holyoke. “She graduated magna cum laude. And she’s a swim star!”
Mai Nguyen, 21, was beyond excited to graduate. “It’s really emotional,” she said. Her friend Shijia Cheng, 23, is about to attend graduate school. Like Nguyen, Cheng’s parents flew in from China for the occasion.
Some students graduated with their next few years planned, and some planned on a more uncertain route to their future.
Genelle Green, 22, of Windsor, Conn., graduated with a bachelor’s in politics. “I don’t think it’s real to me, yet,” she said. “I’m nervous because I don’t have a job,” she said, but is excited for the future.
Jude Nwaogu, of Newington, Connecticut, attended to see his niece Eunice Esomonu, who graduated with a degree in computer science. The closest family member in the area, Nwaogu helped her by providing familial support.
“I’m absolutely excited for her,” he said. “She has job offers already!”
Geoff Dempsey can be reached at geoffrey.i.dempsey@gmail.com.