On June 5, 2022, Trinity Hall held its sixth graduation ceremony at the OceanFirst Bank Center at Monmouth University. Trinity Hall’s board of trustees, faculty, staff, family and friends gathered to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of the 85 graduates in the Class of 2022.
Salutatorian Sanan Gueyikian, who will attend the University of Pennsylvania next year, started the ceremony with the invocation: “Lord, we celebrate your love - the love we have for one another, the love for the time we spent together, and the love that inspires us to make the world a better place. By your grace, we hope to represent Trinity Hall and our sisterhood in this next chapter and share what we have learned wherever we go.”
Valedictorian Caroline Cashman, who will attend William & Mary next year, shared her remarks and reflected on the transformation of the Class of 2022 throughout their four years at Trinity Hall: “The mascot of a Monarch butterfly serves as an equally appropriate representation of a class that has been transformed by our time at Trinity Hall…Trinity Hall has allowed us to metamorphose from awkward freshmen into daring young women, capable enough to embrace change. As we migrate beyond the walls of Trinity Hall, it is our responsibility to take what we have learned and continue to transform ourselves and the world around us.”
The Class of 2022 heard from commencement speaker Caroline Gmelich ‘17, Trinity Hall’s first-ever alumnae commencement speaker. Caroline attended the University of Virginia and was on the swimming and diving team throughout her four years. While continuing her swimming career throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Caroline struggled with finding a purpose in continuing to swim. Caroline advised the Class of 2022 on two P’s: perspective and perseverance.
“As you all continue forward onto your separate paths, I implore you to take inventory of your surroundings. Take inventory of your friends and family and the people who helped you get to this exact moment. Understand and appreciate that your successes have not happened independently. Perspective and perseverance are only part of the journey. What allowed me to gain perspective and persevere was the community of people I surrounded myself with. Without my friends and my family to lean on, I would have never seen the fruits of my labor.”
Every year, Trinity Hall’s board of trustees recognizes a member of the community with the Founders Award. The award recipient is an individual or a group whose commitment to the success of Trinity Hall mirrors the dedication of the Founders. This year’s Founders Award recipient is Dr. Melissa Whelan. Dr. Whelan will be leaving Trinity Hall at the end of this school year to become the principal of St. Anthony Tri-Parish Catholic School in Casper, Wyoming.
Congratulations to the Class of 2022! May God continue to bless you!
Watch the full ceremony here: Graduation Livestream