Isenberg Celebrates 2022 Graduates : Isenberg School of Management : UMass Amherst

“Isenberg is better today and it will be better in the years to come because we’ll have you as part of the Isenberg family,” said Isenberg’s dean, Anne Massey, who welcomed students receiving undergra

“Isenberg is better today and it will be better in the years to come because we’ll have you as part of the Isenberg family,” said Isenberg’s dean, Anne Massey, who welcomed students receiving undergraduate degrees to the alumni community during a congratulatory address during the Senior Celebration on Saturday, May 14. Approximately 900 of the 1,180 members of the Class of 2022 (including on-campus and University Without Walls students) attended the event at the Mullins Center with family members and supporters. The previous day, the graduates’ degrees had been officially conferred by UMass President Marty Meehan during the official Undergraduate Commencement.

On Thursday, May 12, Isenberg’s graduate students participated in ceremonies and a reception at the school. Six doctoral students received degrees this spring, which were commemorated by a Robing Ceremony. Master’s degree graduates from both the Class of 2020 (whose original commencement ceremonies had to be postponed because of Covid-19) and the Class of 2022 attended Oath Ceremonies.

Class of 2022:

Online Master of Business Administration and Online MBA with In-Person Option: 399 graduates
On-Campus Master of Business Administration: 42 graduates
Master of Science in Accounting: 157 graduates
Master of Science in Business Analytics: 83 graduates
Master of Finance: 17 graduates

Class of 2020:

Online Master of Business Administration and Online MBA with In-Person Option: 401 graduates
On-Campus Master of Business Administration: 39 graduates
Master of Science in Accounting: 162 graduates
Master of Science in Business Analytics: 56 graduates
Master of Finance: 18 graduates

“I wish you could all see what we see,” said the senior speaker, accounting major Liuginsa Rosa, during the Senior Celebration. “Lots of dreams, sacrifices, and lots of proud parents.” Rosa told her own story of entering Isenberg as non-traditional student—she came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2003 with her family, and is now a grandmother of two. She told the audience that she first visited UMass in 2017, when her son was considering the school, and she immediately imagined herself thriving on the campus, after having been a long-time stay-at-home mom.

“You have to take the time to figure out what makes your heart smile,” she told the graduates. “I did that after being a grandmother, and I’ve never been more excited about the future.”

Rosa thanked her family for supporting her through her undergraduate journey and the faculty and staff at Isenberg for keeping students engaged even through the Covid-19 pandemic. “Thank you for making the effort to help us learn beyond our comfort zone,” she said.

“I’m a proud member of this resilient Class of 2022,” Rosa added.

During the Senior Celebration, Dean Massey also welcomed to the stage the family of Michael Lap, an HTM major who passed away in November.

“He was a wonderful and beloved student,” she said to his classmates. “We are very sorry for his loss and celebrate him along with all of your successes.”