News

Join the Celebration: Be a Commencement Volunteer

Share the joy of 4,000 graduating seniors with their 20,000 guests as they leave their UMass Amherst student days and launch their newly minted alumni lives.

To ensure smooth sailing on their departure date—Saturday, May 26th—we need you to marshal, usher, and aide in the success of this important event. Have high-school-aged children? They can volunteer too!

• Marshals organize graduates by school or college for the student processional into the stadium; escort them onto the field; and serve as field monitors. We need 60 people for this task.
• Aides greet guests as they enter the stadium, distribute programs, give directions, and direct guests to their seats. We need 50 people for this task.
• Ushers are in the stands and aid guests with seating, directions, and program information. We need 40 people for this task.

You'll see degrees conferred, flags unfurled, and mortarboards tossed into the air. In appreciation for your service to the university, you will receive a commemorative glass, snacks, lunch, and an opportunity to win fabulous prizes.

First time and returning volunteers, mark your calendars:

• Volunteer Orientation: Wednesday, May 16th, 10:00 a.m., Mahar Auditorium.
• Volunteer Rehearsal: Thursday, May 24th, 10:00 a.m., McGuirk Football Stadium
• Commencement: Saturday, May 26th: Ushers and Aides arrive at 10:00 a.m., Marshals arrive at 10:30 a.m., McGuirk Football Stadium.

Interested? Complete the Volunteer Registration Form. Contact The Commencement Office via email or by phone at 413-577-1101 for more information.

21st Century Leaders Announced

Ten members of the Class of 2007 have been named winners of the 21st Century Leaders Award. The awards recognize students who are academically accomplished and who have contributed to the university through exceptional achievement or have enhanced the reputation of the campus.

• Amanda Butler-Jones, Accounting Information Systems & Legal Studies
  Worcester, Massachusetts
• Alina Catrinoiu , Psychology
  Pittsfield, Massachusetts
• Jeffrey Dabkowski, Microbiology
  South Deerfield, Massachusetts
• George Eppsteiner, Sport Management & Spanish
  Framingham, Massachusetts
• Aaron Harman, Psychology & Neuroscience
  Natick, Massachusetts
• Jackson Maina, Nursing
  Worcester, Massachusetts
• Kunal Malhotra, Political Science & History
  Fairfax, Virginia
• Matthew Pearlson, Chemical Engineering
  West Stockbridge , Massachusetts
• Edward Sweeney, English & Political Science
  Seekonk, Massachusetts
• Deanna Vasilakis, Journalism
  Andover, Massachusetts

They will be recognized for high academic performance, and for the prestige and honor they bring to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, both as undergraduates and as alumni joining the larger community.

The winners will be presented during the 2007 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony. Recipients will receive a plaque and a monetary award from the UMass Amherst Alumni Association.

Alison C. Briggs Will Be the Student Speaker for the Class of 2007

Alison C. Briggs, a Psychology/Sociology major from Sharon, Massachusetts, has been named the student speaker for the class of 2007.

Briggs says she is looking forward to addressing her fellow graduates. “Being selected as the student speaker for my graduating class is one of the greatest honors I have ever received,” Briggs says. “I am grateful for the friends that have supported me and that urged me to apply, and I am happy they get to share this honor with my family and me.”

At UMass Amherst, Briggs has been a resident assistant for the past two years. She also worked as the co-manager at the student-run business Sweets and More during her four years on campus. Briggs’ managerial duties at the store included bookkeeping, purchasing, scheduling and overall decision-making.

In 2006-07 Briggs also worked as a research assistant in the psychology department, running experiments and collecting data for a project on different types of motivation overseen by Ronnie Janoff-Bulman, professor of psychology.

Following graduation, Briggs says she plans to work as a substitute teacher working with at-risk youth for a year before applying to law schools.

Briggs was chosen to be the student speaker by a committee of faculty and students.

Questions about Commencement? Contact us

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© 2007 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Amherst, MA 01003