Courtesy photo A Rivier University graduate was one of many who decorated their mortar board caps with quotes or illustrations at the Nashua school's 85th commencement Sunday.

By MICHELLE C. MARRONE

For The Telegraph

MANCHESTER – Nashua’s Rivier University celebrated its 85th commencement Sunday, awarding 544 associate, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees at the outdoor ceremony at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

“Last spring, Rivier announced that we would honor the accomplishments of our graduates in person consistent with public health guidelines,” Rivier president Sister Paula Marie Buley said.

“Today, it was our privilege to fulfill that commitment. While this ceremony looked different than any other, it conveyed the spirit of Rivier and acknowledged the tremendous work of our graduates, especially in these challenging times,” Buley added.

Courtesy photo A wide photo of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester shows social distancing between Rivier University graduates as well as spectators to turned out for the school's 85th commencement on Sunday.

Student speaker Hope Cataldo, of North Haverhill, who earned her B.A. in elementary education, summa cum laude, spoke with pride to the Class of 2020’s perseverance and resilience in the face of change. “We decided that our education was far more important than any strange or unusual predicament the world threw at us,” Cataldo said. “Our time at Rivier has proven that when there is adversity, there is also resilience, acceptance, love, and compassion. Rivier has transformed our hearts and minds to truly go out and serve the world,” she said.

Adrianne Havlicek, of Litchfield, a 1996 Rivier graduate, earned her MBA in management this year and spoke on behalf of graduate students.

Havlicek addressed the journeys of adult learners -individual paths connected by academic challenge and marked determination.

“The highlight of our journey has been achieved by all of us reaching our destination,” she said. “This moment. This time. Right here. Right now. Sharing this last moment – one of our most incredible moments – together.”

For Sunday’s commencement, Northeast Delta Dental Stadium staff, in collaboration with Manchester Public Health personnel, managed all health and safety protocols for the event, including masking and physical distancing.

Courtesy photo Rivier University graduates sit at least 6 feet from each other during the Nashua school's 85th commencement, held at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester.

The event was streamed live on the u

This fall, meanwhile, Rivier will open for face-to-face instruction and a residential experience for students, while also supporting requests for remote learning accommodations as needed.

In September, the university looks forward to celebrating the opening of its new, 35,000 square-foot Science and Innovation Center, a state-of-the-art facility that enhances Rivier’s resources in STEM education and will advance collaborative research among students, faculty, and community partners.

Rivier, which offers an education grounded in the liberal arts and Catholic tradition, prepares students for the 21st-century workforce, and offers a unique promise of employment to undergraduate students. Its mission of transforming hearts and minds to serve the world is demonstrated through its academic programs in nursing, biology, public health, business, computer science, education, counseling, psychology, and more.

New for fall 2020, the university will offer an undergraduate major in health science and 4+1 bachelors degrees in cybersecurity management and mathematics paired with an MS in computer science.

Courtesy photo Hope Cataldo, a North Haverill resident, was the undergraduate student speaker at Rivier University's 85th commencement on Sunday. She earned a B.A. in elementary education.

Courtesy photo Rivier University seniors spend a few moments chatting before the start of Sunday's commencement exercises, held with appropriate mask-wearing and social distancing measures at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester.

Courtesy photo Student speaker Hope Cataldo, a resident of North Haverhill, holds up her disploma for photos after receiving it during Rivier University's 85th commencement on Sunday. Cataldo earned a B.A. in elementary education.