Congratulations Class of 2022

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, Franklin University Switzerland held its 52nd annual Graduation and Commencement Ceremony at Lugano’s lakeside Palazzo dei Congressi. Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, families, and friends gathered to celebrate the graduation of the class of 2022.

This event marked the first celebration open to the public since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a matter of fact, since 2020, the Franklin community has had to adapt to new uncertainties, cope with limited freedom and loneliness, and adjust to the challenges of distance learning and teaching. Nothing has been the same since, but this past weekend, Franklin was finally able to full-scale celebrate the achievements of its students.

The day started off with a dedicated event at the site of the new "Phase 3" building, where alumni, trustees, students, staff and faculty joined President Greg Warden, former presidents Theo Brenner and Pat Tone, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Kim Hildebrant, and trustee Kevin McNeely, to name just a few, in celebrating the progress on the new campus complex. The building is scheduled to accomodate new students for the first time ever this this Fall '22 semester and is undergoing the final construcion phase. During the occasion, the building's new student center was dedicated to President Greg Warden, who received a special nameplate which will later be displayed inside the center upon completion. 

The festive spirit continued in the afternoon, where a total of 61 students graduated at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano: 45 with a Bachelor's and 16 with a Master's degree. During this edition, Franklin also had the pleasure of celebrating 20 alumni from the class of 2020, who were compelled during their Commencement to settle for a solely digital ceremony and virtual reception – read more here. A unique celebration indeed. The 2022 Commencement also welcomed a special group of alumni, the Golden Falcons, who graduated between 1963 and 1972 – read more here – and opened the procession of students on the stage of the Palazzo dei Congressi.

This year the University was honored to welcome Penelope Andrews, Director of Racial Justice Project and Law Professor at the New York Law School, as keynote speaker and Honorary Degree recipient. In her speech, Professor Andrews congratulated the class of 2020 and applauded the faculty for their efforts. She additionally described the students as intrepid, futurists, problem solvers, and passionate, encouraging them to continue embracing the soft skills gained at Franklin, such as respect, responsibility, and resilience. Professor Andrews has held tenured faculty positions at La Trobe University in Australia, the City University of New York (CUNY), and Valparaiso University. She has also held visiting appointments at law schools across the United States, Canada, and internationally. Furthermore, she is an editor of the International Journal of Law in Context, the Human Rights and the Global Economy E-Journal, and the African Law E-Journal. Finally, she published several books and articles that focus on comparative constitutional law, gender and racial equality, human rights, the judiciary, and legal education. 

The University also awarded an Honorary Degree to Swiss film director and screenwriter, Markus Imhoof, whose films were screened at the festivals of Berlin, Venice, Cannes, Locarno, and more; to United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UNITAR Executive Director, Nikhil Seth, who gave a speech on the 'Global Citizenship to Realize the Sustainable Development Goals' inviting students to keep working hard to safeguard the future of our planet; and to Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Organization in Rome, Pio Wennubst, who was originally awarded in 2020.

The Ursula Gentile Lowerre Award for Outstanding Service was conferred to Majeda Ziad Dakkak, class of 2015, today Director of Business Development and Communications at Dakkak Group – Dakkak Tours International. Majeda stays close to Franklin even as an alumna, serving as the Chair of the Franklin Club of Jordan, planning regional events, and connecting alumni in her area to Franklin. She additionally volunteers as an Alumni Admissions Ambassador, speaking to prospective Franklin students, and advises students and young alumni about career-related topics with the Office of Career Strategy’s virtual events.

More awards were conferred to students and professors. Jonathan Bystrowski '22 received the Presidential Leadership Award, Giulia Castiglioni '22 the Academic Excellence Award, Kai Sales '22 the Gerta Holman Award, and Professors Johanna Fassl and Hrisanta Marin-Trebici the Founders Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award. 

This year’s Valedictorian was Gabriella Teerlynck-Aviles, from Miami, Florida, who graduated magna cum laude with a double major in Psychology and Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Science. She also was the recipient of the Environmental Studies Award. Now that they are about to embark on a new chapter in their lives, Gabriella invited seniors of the 2022 class to recognize the unique adventures they shared at Franklin. From lessons learned, to the development of a mutual sense of unity and community, she concluded with "We all have so much love for this University and will be eternally grateful to the people we met here."

If you missed the livestream you can view it on the Graduation and Commencement page here. In the meantime, take a look at some pics from the big day in the gallery below. For more special memories check out Franklin's social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and, our newest, TikTok.