Seventy-one seniors graduated last week from the Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, Md., and Marymount University President Irma Becerra was on hand to inspire them and lend words of wisdom as their commencement keynote speaker.
Holy Child, a Catholic college preparatory school, is committed to the intellectual, spiritual, artistic, physical and social development of young women in grades 6 through 12. In keeping with the philosophy of its founder, Cornelia Connelly, the school values the uniqueness of each individual and fosters a life of service to others.
In her remarks, President Becerra congratulated Holy Child’s Class of 2023 and drew parallels to the shared values and common goals of the two institutions.
“At Marymount, our core values are intellectual curiosity, service to others and having a global perspective – with a mission of developing the whole person. In our world today, it’s so important for there to be institutions like ours that are rooted in faith, values and Catholic tradition,” she said. “Marymount and Holy Child are also strong dual enrollment partners, with many graduates completing introductory college courses for credit and getting a head start on their college journeys before they even finish high school.”
President Becerra also reflected on the graduates’ journey through their high school years and how their experience was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Your academic journey has been quite the roller coaster. During your freshman year, in your own words, you ‘left for spring break and never returned.’ COVID-19 swept across the country, and we had to change so much about how we operate in our daily lives,” she explained. “You’ve already faced a great deal of adversity, but that adversity only made you stronger women.”
“When you encounter adversity in your life, I encourage you to embrace the power of education – no matter how old you are. Regardless of what your future career or life throws at you, don’t give up on your education and don’t give up on your dreams.”
