237 graduate from Calumet College of St. Joseph
After four years off concentrated studies, Sister Bich Thi Ngoc Vu said she will be ready for whatever comes from her superiors of the Incarnation Consecration Mission.
As of Saturday, when she walked across the dais to receive her cum laude Bachelor of Arts in English and creative writing during Calumet College of St. Joseph’s 57th annual graduation in the college’s fieldhouse in Whiting, she didn’t know what – or where – that would be.
The Vietnam native could be sent back to her homeland or she could be asked to continue with the order’s mission of administering to the poor in the U.S., she said as her fellow sisters gathered round to take pictures with her and he newly minted degree.
Whatever it is, though, she said she now knows how to multitask, if nothing else.
“I had to learn how to divide my time studying, praying and completing the mission (of poor relief ),” Vu said, smiling from ear to ear. “(In Vietnam), it’s very important for us to know English, so I would tell others to go forward and do what you want, but more importantly, do your best.”
Commencement keynote speaker, Lake County Judge Calvin Hawkins, who also received an honorary doctorate of laws from the school Saturday, asked members of the audience whether it remembered the keynote speakers – and the themes of their speeches -- at each of their commencements. In his experience, he said most could remember the who but couldn’t for the life of them remember the what.
Therefore, he was going to make everyone remember who he was and his message, which he described as “being brought to you by the letter ‘D.’”
said.
For Juan Alvarez, of Chicago, graduation was bittersweet. His mom, he said, died before she had the chance to see him get through his undergrad, so finishing that and going on for his masters in public safety administration was something his four older sisters made sure he completed.
“She might not be here with us today, but she brought the sun for her son,” Alavarez said. “There were a lot of blood, sweat and tears going into this degree, and even though were not finished until August, (Saturday’s commencement) is good incentive to really work hard and get it done.”
Calumet College of St. Joseph conferred 237 degrees during the ceremony, including 56 master’s degrees, 181 baccalaureates and 11 associate’s degrees. The graduating class had students from Australia, Brazil, Croatia, England, Ireland, Spain, Tanzania, and Vietnam, according to Calumet College spokeswoman Linda Gajewski.