Caldwell College Graduates Told Your Life Will Be Shaped by Acceptance and Creative Response to Moments of Tension

College President Sister Patrice Werner President Receives Honorary Degree

Caldwell College President Sister Patrice Werner, O.P., Ph.D. told the Class of 2009 that like a potter who molds clay, "your education here at Caldwell will hopefully continue to enable you to shape your life into a work of art." Sister Patrice, who is retiring June 30 after 15 years as President and 36 years at the College, gave the commencement speech at the May 17 graduation ceremonies and was awarded an honorary degree.

She told the 432 Caldwell College graduates that they were leaving college at a time when the world was facing serious challenges, but she said those challenges "are not insurmountable and it is our prayer that your Caldwell College education has well prepared you to make a difference in this world and that you have been, as we say in our Mission Statement, 'empowered to comprehend community and global issues and to act responsibly toward self and others."

After sharing a story from the book Growing Strong at Broken Places by Paula Ripple about a potter, Sister Patrice said that "while each one of us is called to make of our life a work of art, there is no guarantee that this will come easily."

She told the students that like the potter who sometimes hits places of tension in the clay, "Life comes to be in times and places of tension. That tension can activate our creative energies and enable us to give shape to our dream," And she said, "your life will be shaped by your acceptance of and creative response to these moments of tension."

Sister awarded the degrees to the 432 students including 317 undergraduates and 115 master's students.