Greater Nashua

NASHUA - Prior to this year’s Commencement ceremony at Nashua Community College, President Dr. James Keane placed a stone on every chair where the graduates would be sitting -- each stone was engraved with the word “courage.” During the May 18 ceremony, Keane spoke about a movie documenting the friendship of a homeless man sleeping on a bench outside Harvard University and a student who was about to graduate. “The student, in his senior year, was very stressed about completing his senior thesis, which would allow him to graduate,” said Keane. “He tries to explain the importance of the paper to his friend.” The student told the man that the grade on his thesis would determine his future, things like a six-figure salary, a house and a sports car. Keane said the homeless man responded by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bag with several stones in it. ...