More than 360 bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates received diplomas Saturday at the University of Maine Farmington commencement ceremony.
The graduates, their families, the UMF community and honored guests outside the Einar A. Olsen student center listened under a sunny sky to Alan Shaw Taylor, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, deliver the commencement address. Graduating senior Emily Rumble, from York, delivered the student address.
About 300 of those receiving degrees Saturday are from Maine, representing the state from Albany Township to York. Many of the others are from elsewhere in New England, but the graduating class also included students from as far away as the Ivory Coast and Hong Kong.
President Kathryn A. Foster told those gathered it was a proud day for the school and “it’s always an honor to watch our degree candidates turn their tassels as they transition from students to graduates and lifelong alumni.
“They have dreamed big, worked hard and found their lives’ passion here at UMF. It’s exciting to know they’ll build on that knowledge and experience as they chart their course for the future.”
Taylor, a historian and Colby College graduate, was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters at the ceremony. He is the fourth person to win two Pulitzer Prizes for American history since the establishment of the award in 1917, according to a news release from UMF. An expert on Colonial America, the American Revolution and the early American republic, Taylor is known for finding new stories in history and looking at them in ways that other historians might not, the release said.
Rumble is a George Mitchell Scholar and honors student who graduated cum laude with a major in secondary education. After graduation her goal is to work as a high school English teacher.
Foster and Joseph McGinn, provost and vice president for academic affairs, conferred degrees to this year’s graduates. Marjorie Medd, a member of the UMS board of trustees, offered greetings to the graduates from the University of Maine System.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.