CANTON -- More than 600 degrees were awarded Sunday, May 17, at St. Lawrence University’s commencement at Creasy Commencement Common as the audience heard speeches from historian Peter Hatch and hedge fund pioneer John Angelo.

Students, faculty, staff and guests listened to remarks from honorary degree recipients Peter Hatch, a garden historian and consultant to various historic landscapes across the country; John Angelo ’63, a pioneer in the hedge fund industry, and Judy Hart Angelo ’64, a songwriter, who have both been instrumental in building and supporting St. Lawrence University’s New York City Semester; and Jane Clark, chair of the board of directors for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and president of The Clark Foundation.

The five most popular majors this year were economics, psychology, biology, english and government.

The senior with the highest cumulative grade-point average (GPA) over four full years was Tessa Yang, Pittsford. Her GPA was 3.977 out of a possible 4.0. She majored in English and minored in government.

Sticking with tradition at St. Lawrence, graduates had the option of receiving their degree from family members associated with the university. Receiving degrees from relatives were Andrew Leiser, presented by his spouse Haley Feickert, Assistant Director of Laurentian Engagement. Victor Fleury-Couture, presented by his father André Couture, St. Lawrence University Trustee. Jacob Hurlbut, presented by his father Mike Hurlbut, Associate Men’s Hockey Coach. David Smith, presented by his mother Elaina Smith, Executive Assistant for University Advancement. Ann Lufkin, presented by her mother Sarah Johnson, St. Lawrence University Trustee.

Speaker Peter Hatch said "But, you’re a bunch of tough Yankees. Where I live we’re soft; we have switchbacks on mountain trails, gently winding up the southern Appalachians. Here, in the Adirondacks, the trails go straight up the water drainages. You climb through mud and rock, sometimes on all fours, maybe like me, hanging on to trees and roots. Panting and sweaty, you climb out of the dark forest of balsam fir and red spruce and you’re in this magical land scape above treeline – a garden of rock and wind and sky; moss and lichen and alpine flowers that grow nowhere else in the world. Below you is what Thomas Jefferson called “the workhouse of Nature...Even from the puny 812 little mountain he called Monticello, Jefferson would write, “How sublime to look down upon the workhouse of nature, clouds, lightning, thunder all fabricated at our feet.”

"Once you receive this diploma, like it or not, you are officially an adult. You need to pretend you’re an adult, to act like an adult, but please, please, look at the world wide-eyed and playful, like a child," Hatch said.

John Angelo offered words of encouragement to the class: "The truth is we tend to enjoy what we are good at. I promise you, that each of you has a skill or talent that is unique, that nobody else has. Pursue what you are good at; discover what you do better than anyone else. And if you do that, you will discover what you love. And once you dig in to the thing you love and are good at, the future will come more easily and obstacles will fall away."

"Do not be afraid to fail. If you don’t fail you haven’t taken chances. But when you do fail learn from it. And if you fall at least fall forward closer to your goal.

Never give up on yourselves, never. Life can bring difficult times, but remember that coming from St. Lawrence is a crucial asset for you. Stay in touch with your friends; seek each other out as the years roll on and help each other. Remember that in this country the sky is the limit," Angelo said.

“What a totally unexpected honor it is to receive this degree. And it is even more sweet to receive it with my husband, John, to whom I’ve been married for almost 48 years,” said Judy Hart Angelo.

“Interestingly enough, we did not date here at St. Lawrence…that would have been impossible. I was a Kappa and John was a Phi Sig. On Sundays, I sang at his fraternity with a girls group, The Sinners, and John and his roommate, Bob, threw beer cans down the stairs at us,” she said.

I am so honored to be here and to accept this honorary degree.

Jane Clark said: “We have all heard a great number of talks in our lives - the one that has stayed with me, closest to my thinking, was Ryne Sandberg's Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech on July 31, 2005.

A powerful second baseman playing 16 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs.

He spoke for 20-odd minutes about himself and why he'd been elected to the Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors in American sport.

Because, he said, he played with respect.

He said he had too much respect for the game to play it any other way than how it was meant to be played - "Play it right with respect."

Ryno also has always had self respect. He went on to say that the other reason he was now a hall of famer was that he had "Respect for getting the most of my ability."

That afternoon in Cooperstown made all of us understand that you can never go wrong with respect.Respect for your own integrity. Respect for the game you're playing. Respect for everyone joining you on the field and in your clubhouse. It was a great talk. It's a great word.”