Staff report
CNHI
THOMASVILLE —
Preparations for the annual commencement ceremony are under way at Thomas University, where more than 250 students will graduate on Saturday. The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. in the Ben Grace Historic Quadrangle on the campus of Thomas University.
The Commencement speaker will be Dr. Gloria Nemerowicz, founder and president of the Yes We Must Coalition: College Success for All. The Yes We Must Coalition is a non-profit organization of 27 small, private, non-profit colleges and universities across the U.S., including Thomas University. Yes We Must seeks to raise public awareness, share resources, collect data and fundraise together in order to improve graduation rates for under-served students.
Before launching Yes We Must, Nemerowicz served for 15 years as president of Pine Manor College, a private four-year college for women in Chestnut Hill, Mass. While there she refocused the college on “inclusive leadership and social responsibility,” which became the educational mission and the guiding organizational principle of the college. To increase access, tuition was lowered by 34 percent, financial aid was increased and partnerships with numerous community groups were formed. Enrollment increased by 70 percent. Nemerowicz raised $2 million to $3 million annually for college operations, endowment and capital projects. She also helped conceptualize and implement the first capital campaign in 11 years.
This will be the second year that commencement will be held on Thomas University’s recently renovated campus.
