Swampscott Students Celebrated At Stonehill Graduation

SWAMPSCOTT, MA – A pair of Swampscott students had to wait nearly three months for their commencement but were able to enjoy a virtual graduation ceremony with some help from a New England Patriots Pro Bowler.

Christina King and Brian Murphy graduated in the class of 2020 in May and were honored along with their classmates in the August ceremony.

Patriots three-time Super Bowl champion Matthew Slater was the keynote speaker and hailed the graduates to endure, persevere and thrive in the face of adversity.

Initially scheduled for May 17 with a traditional in-person format but knocked off course by COVID-19, Stonehill's 69th Commencement finally took place on Aug. 8 making history as the college's first virtual commencement and the first ever held in August.

Another big change this year was the presentation of candidates for master's degrees.

More than 50 second-year students at Lasell University, including Tania Shadari of Swampscott, are enrolled in the Lasell Works Program.

Shadari began the program's Sophomore Year Experience this fall.

Hofstra University welcomes Maxwell Lewis, of Swampscott, who has joined the school’s dynamic community of more than 11,000 students from around the world who are dedicated to civic engagement, academic excellence, and becoming leaders in their communities and their careers.

(If you know of a Swampscott college student who deserves some recognition for their work and accomplishments let Swampscott Patch know at Scott.Souza@Patch.com.)