St. Francis College holds graduation in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Gray skies turned to a bright, sunny day at Brooklyn Bridge Park for the 3,000 people celebrating St. Francis College’s Spring Commencement on May 19 — the first graduation held on the pier, with the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan skyline providing a stunning backdrop for the graduates.
More than 300 students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas after hearing from valedictorian Tvrtko Vrdoljak, keynote speaker John F. Tully ’67 J.D. and honorary degree recipient former Assemblymember Joan Millman.
Tvrtko is the third brother in his family to come to St. Francis College from their home in Croatia and the second valedictorian from their family. He carried a perfect 4.0 GPA as an economics major with minors in political science and philosophy. He is fluent in Croatian, Spanish and English and studied abroad in Barcelona and Buenos Aires. He was also a member of the Model United Nations, Eastern European and economics clubs.
He told his fellow graduates that education at St. Francis extends far beyond the classroom. “The unmatched diversity of people, interests, cultures and opinions that New York has exposed us to has imbued our diplomas with value that cannot be quantified. Lessons of life, friendship, love and hard work that I have learned while living in this city, I would not change for four years anywhere else in the world.”