28-05-2025
Eastern graduate division confers 100 master's degrees
WILLIMANTIC — Eastern Connecticut State University celebrated graduation with nearly 100 master's degree students at its Graduate Division Commencement at the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall.
Degree recipients were given remarks from Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and were ceremonially hooded as they walked across the stage.
The degrees received were in accounting, education (early childhood, elementary and secondary education), management, applied data science, special education and educational studies/technology. The ages of the graduates ranged from 21 to 72.
Tong was the recipient of Eastern's inaugural Distinguished Public Service Award. In his address, Tong discussed the motivation behind his career.
'The reason why I do this work is because I know there are a lot of 'nobodies' in this world,' he said.
He then went on to refer to himself as a 'nobody' when referencing his upbringing. Tong grew up the son of Chinese immigrants and worked in his parents' Chinese restaurant in Wethersfield.
'There are a lot of people who feel invisible,' Tong said. 'I want to help them because I know what they're going through.'
Tong told his story as a call to action for the graduates: 'See the people who don't look exactly like you; they're your people too. Remember who you really are, recognize who your people are, and fight for them.'
Eastern President Karim Ismaili who for the first time at Eastern's graduation, delivered the congratulatory remarks.
'Earning a graduate degree is a tremendous achievement, one that requires discipline, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to your goals,' Ismaili said. 'You embody the spirit of Eastern: purposeful, thoughtful, and ready to serve.'
Shellena Pitterson, a graduating member of the class and a drafter for facilities management and planning at Eastern, delivered the graduate student address.
'Grad school is like a rollercoaster: exciting at first, terrifying in the middle, and by the end, you're just holding on for dear life,' Pitterson said. 'We've navigated assignments, exams, late nights and let's be honest-the occasional existential crisis.'
