The celebrated Iranian author, Dr. Azar Nafisi, once forced from her job as a teacher for refusing to cover her hair, encouraged graduates to embrace the power of their imagination when she presented the commencement address on Sunday, May 21, at Salve Regina.

In all, 804 degrees were conferred to members of the Class of 2023 — the University’s largest-ever graduating class — by Dr. Kelli J. Armstrong, Salve Regina’s president, including 589 bachelor’s degrees, 207 master’s degrees and eight doctoral degrees. A separate ceremony was held on Thursday for graduate degree recipients.

“[Imagination] brings us out of ourselves and connects us with others,” said Nafisi, whose acclaimed 2003 memoir, “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 100 weeks and has been translated into 32 languages. “It is a way of investigating, of perceiving the world and changing it.”

Nafisi stressed the importance of a liberal arts education, even for those studying science.

“Einstein was a musician; he played the violin,” Nafisi said. “He felt imagination was even more important because imagination encircles the world.”

The processional for the Salve Regina University’s 73rd annual commencement.

Dr. Azar Nafisi speaking during commencement. 

Nafisi, who emigrated to the United States in 1997, told her audience what Iran revealed to her about the importance of liberal arts and humanities.

“Life is transient. Life is fickle,” she said. “Today you might have a home and tomorrow you might not. It is so easy to lose everything you call home. That is why it is so important to have that portable home of imagination, because no one can take that away from you.”

In offering his congratulations, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, said he hopes graduates will carry the lessons and values of Salve Regina forward and work for a world that is harmonious, just and merciful.

“I am confident that you will make your own mark, and serve a purpose higher than yourself,” Reed said. “Today more than ever, our world needs your combination of knowledge, talent and, most of all, mercy.”

Xay Khamsyvoravong, the mayor of Newport, said he was privileged for the unique perspective he had in getting to know members of the graduating class.

“I know you understand the value of our community because I’ve seen you volunteering at our public spaces,” Khamsyvoravong said. “I’ve seen you sing to seniors who are living alone during holiday breaks. I’ve seen you wake up early to feed meals to the poor. And when winter got bitterly cold this past year, and the city opened an emergency warming center, there’s many of you that showed up to volunteer, to give those people a warm welcome.”

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed speaking during commencement. 

Students walk past the statue of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy.

Honorary degree recipients with president Kelli Armstrong (middle right): Anthony C. Zinni (left), Therese Antone (middle left) and Azar Nafisi (right).

“I know you understand the value of our community, because I’ve seen you volunteering at our public,” Khamsyvoravong said. “I’ve seen you sing to seniors who are living alone during holiday breaks. I’ve seen you wake up early to feed meals to the poor. And when winter got bitterly cold this past year, and the city opened an emergency warming center, there were many of you that showed up to volunteer, to give those people a warm welcome.”

Khamsyvoravong praised the graduating class for embracing the role of serving in the footsteps of the Sisters of Mercy.

“You have stood to protect the needy, you have fought injustice when you’ve seen it, and I’ve seen you each try to make the world a better place,” he said. “You represent the culmination of 75 years of the mercy tradition, and you’ve given me great hope that our country’s future is in great hands, because I know you’ve made this community better.”

In addition to Nafisi, the University also awarded honorary degrees to Dr. M. Therese Antone, R.S.M., the chancellor for Salve Regina who also served as the University’s sixth president from 1994-2009, and to Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

The University also honored the memory of Drew Ceppetelli by posthumously awarding a diploma to her family. Ceppetelli was tragically killed in an automobile accident over the Thanksgiving break.

Mairead Nee, one of three valedictorians in the Class of 2023, remembered Ceppetelli as one of the first people she met at Salve Regina during her first year.

Mairead Nee, one of the three valedictorians. 

Family members of Drew Ceppetelli ’23, receive their daughter’s diploma from Dr. Armstrong. 

“I remember her warmth and bright smile being a comfort amongst the changes that come with beginning college,” said Nee. “As we gather today to celebrate our time at Salve coming to a close, I challenge each of you to carry Drew’s legacy into whatever comes next for you. Be selfless, be optimistic, be kind, and make sure your people always know you love them in the same way she did. We miss you Drew, and we thank you for the lasting inspiration you left for all of us.”

In her valedictory address, Nee told classmates that they will forever be remembered as resilient.

“We are the first class in history to have every year of our college experience impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nee said. “But in the words of novelist Paulo Coelho, ‘A straight road does not make a skillful driver.’ While we faced challenges our younger selves never could have predicted when we moved into our cozy freshman dorms, this experience made us well equipped for the novel situations we will face after graduation.”

Dr. Armstrong, who began her tenure as the University’s eighth president in 2019 together with the Class of 2023 as they started their academic journey, said she shares with them a special and unbreakable bond.

“You are my graduating class,” Armstrong said. “I have had the honor of celebrating your growth over these years as if you were my own children, and I’ve watched you with amazement — not only witnessing your incredible achievements academically, athletically and artistically, but to how much you’ve given back to your community and to one another. You are an incredible group of human beings.”

Dr. Kelli J. Armstrong, president of Salve Regina, hands out degrees with joy.

Students walk past Ochre Court on their way to graduation ceremony.

Dr. Armstrong praised the graduating class for the strength and grace they showed when confronted with the frightening uncertainty of a global pandemic.

“You carried us through those days,” she said. “You carried me through. You have weathered so much that when I think of all the challenges you have faced – including the heartbreaking loss of a beloved classmate in Drew – and I am humbled by your strength and your goodness.

“It is not in times of ease that we really get to know people and what they’re made of,” Armstrong went on. “It is in times of stress and hardship that we reveal our true selves. You astounded us, you inspired us — and as I think about the future of this world, you give us all such hope because you are entering into it.”