The uncertainty of a rapidly evolving technological world has college graduates more than a little nervous about entering the workforce.

But Freddie Crawford, Class of 1964 and the keynote speaker at Sunday’s 166^th undergraduate Commencement ceremony at St. Bonaventure University, took a more optimistic view even after his daughter, Crystal, acknowledged that artificial intelligence will mean that “some roles will disappear … (and) others haven’t even been invented yet.”

Freddie and Crystal tag-teamed the keynote address Sunday morning in Reilly Center Arena.

“That can sound intimidating. But I see it differently,” Freddie Crawford said. “You are not entering uncertainty — you are entering opportunity. Every generation faces headwinds. My generation did. The generation before me did. What defines success is not the absence of change — it’s the ability to adapt to it.”

A basketball legend at St. Bonaventure who helped lead the program to national prominence in the early 1960s, Crawford was honored for his decades of community leadership in Harlem. He was among four people awarded honorary doctorates Sunday.

Also honored were John Broderick, ’87 (MSEd), retired president emeritus of Old Dominion University, and Olean’s Jim and Carol Stitt, civic leaders and longtime benefactors of the region.

Broderick was honored for his “visionary leadership, his enduring commitment to students, and his extraordinary contributions to higher education.”

The Stitts, who were instrumental in the remarkable success of Olean cutlery manufacturer Cutco, were honored for lives “rooted in generosity, guided by values, and dedicated to lifting others.”

“Their lives,” said Dr. Kevin Watkins, university trustee, “stand as a testament to the enduring power of service, and to the profound difference that thoughtful, sustained commitment can make.”

Emma Spadoni, who earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication, Social Justice and Advocacy, offered the student address at the undergraduate ceremony.

Spadoni was blunt, telling her classmates that failure going forward was unavoidable.

“You cannot control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you respond. 

You will face failure. That’s a guarantee,” she said. “You’ll apply for jobs, you won’t get them. You will move forward with an idea. It won’t pan out. When this inevitably happens, please remember: Failure is not a verdict about your ability. The most successful people do not avoid failure. They learn from it faster than others.”

University President Dr. Jeff Gingerich told the graduates that “the world needs what you have learned here.”

“Your role as alumni is not just to reflect on the past, but to illuminate the future,” he said. “Speak proudly of your Bonaventure education. Live boldly by its principles. Be present in your communities — in your careers, your families, your friendships — as a force for unity and purpose.”

On Saturday, Broderick’s wife, Kate, was honored at the Graduate Studies Commencement, the first time the university — because of the rapid growth of its master’s programs — has conducted a separate ceremony for graduate students.

A 1990 and 1993 graduate of SBU, she was honored with the inaugural Distinguished Graduate Alumnus Award “for her lifelong dedication to education, her advocacy for inclusion, and her extraordinary commitment to students,” especially during her 13 years as first lady at Old Dominion.

“I urge you to live your life in the Franciscan values of humility and service. Find an interesting cause and give your time. And it doesn’t have to be complicated,” Kate Broderick said in her talk to graduates.

“There are young and old people who, at this very moment, are praying someone will bring them a meal, read to them or just give them a wellness call. Being engaged as a servant leader is what members of the St. Bonaventure family exemplified for us and it remains an aspect of life that still unites us today.” 

Shantell Wilson offered the student address at Saturday’s graduate ceremony.

Wilson, who earned her MBA and is now working on her doctorate in Educational Leadership from St. Bonaventure, has built a career centered on leadership, service and community impact. She serves as the engagement liaison and character education developer for CITRS/CHARACTER COUNTS! in Buffalo Public Schools and leads community initiatives through her nonprofit organization, Guiding Light.

Wilson told her fellow graduates not to let fear stand in the way of pursuing their dreams.

“Each year, I choose a word to guide me. This year, my word is alignment,” she said. “Alignment is not just about where you’re going. It’s about becoming fully connected to who you are. It’s when your purpose, your values, your voice, and your actions finally stop pulling in different directions.

“And when that happens,” she said, “you stop shrinking. You stop second-guessing yourself.
And you start walking with confidence in spaces you once questioned if you belonged in.”

Nearly 800 students received degrees over the weekend: 468 earning bachelor’s degrees and 335 earning master’s degrees or advanced certificates. The totals include students who graduated in December and those who will graduate in August.