Advertisements
Advertisements

Killingworth Student Graduates from WPI

Merit Pages News

(May 28, 2025) — Katherine Byrum of Killingworth graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Industrial Engineering at commencement ceremonies held on May 16, 2025. WPI President Grace Wang told members of the Class of 2025 they are entering a changing world filled with competing visions for how to solve challenges and advance society. But, she said, along with knowledge and technical competence in their chosen fields of study, WPI graduates have been equipped with the ability to think critically, to be resilient, to work in teams, and to do it all with a sense of ethics and global responsibility.

“Outside these walls today is a world that needs you,” Wang said. “Not just because of what you have learned to do in your chosen field, but because of who you are, and also because of the leadership qualities you built at WPI.”

Delivering the undergraduate commencement address, Michelle Gass (Class of 1990), the president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co., reflected on her journey from student to global business leader. Gass said she’s often asked how a chemical engineering graduate from WPI became CEO of one of the most iconic apparel companies in the world. The answer, she told the graduates, lies in a handful of guiding principles she started refining in her years on the WPI campus.

“I’ve realized that to the extent I’ve been successful and able to engineer the kind of life I wanted for myself and my family, it’s largely because I learned how to approach problems and moments intentionally and productively, while keeping real people in mind at all times,” Gass said.

Gass and Mark Fuller, chair and treasurer of the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation, a significant supporter of WPI, received honorary degrees as part of the ceremony.

Student speaker Dhespina Zhidro, a biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering double major, reminded fellow graduates about the community they formed for themselves, shaped by a collective experience that included struggle, doubt and, ultimately, achievement.

“WPI has given us more than an education,” Zhidro said. “It has given us a blueprint for how to live, how to lead, create meaningful change, and leave every place we enter better than we found it.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hot this week

HVFC Responds to Fiery Crash That Closed Route 9

By Olivia Drake, HVFC Public Information Officer (March 24, 2024)...

Memorial Service Announced for Haddam Man Found in Cockaponset State Forest

By Edith Pawlicki (October 14, 2024) --- A celebration of...

Letter to the Editor: In Opposition to Sale of the Rossi Property

The views stated here are those of the authors...

Nathaniel B. Field Memorial Foundation Wins Grant from Eversource

Submitted by Marie and Howie Field (March 30, 2024) ---...

KCF Receives Grant to Fund College Scholarships for High School Seniors

Submitted by Kathleen Amoia (March 5, 2024) --- The Killingworth...

Why We Will Miss Dino’s Pizza Restaurant

By Sharon Challenger (July 18, 2025) --- I recently heard...

Find a Fur Baby: Gertie. That’s It!

Submitted by Judith Levin (July 18, 2025) --- Look at...

Haddam Republican Town Committee Candidate Caucus Results

By Edward Munster (July 18, 2025) --- Haddam Republicans caucused...

Summary of Haddam Board of Selectmen Meeting: July 2025

By Gigi Simko (July 17, 2025) --- The regular meeting...

Haddam/Killingworth Community Calendar: July 17 – 24, 2025

Haddam-Killingworth Town and Community Calendar Please visit www.haddam.org, www.townofkillingworth.com, www.hk-now.com,...

Morina Restaurant in Haddam Re-Opens after Crash-Related Repairs

By Editorial Staff (July 16, 2025) --- Morina Restaurant on...

A New Look for Town of Haddam Website

Submitted by Town of Haddam (July 16, 2025) --- The...
Advertisements

Related Articles

Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements