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¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Bellarmine celebrated its first graduating class, highlighting strong academic outcomes and the program's role in expanding access to Jesuit education.

As part of ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University’s 75th Commencement Exercises, the inaugural ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Bellarmine Class of 2025 received their associate’s degrees in a momentous ceremony held on May 15 at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. This event celebrated a milestone in ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ’s ongoing mission to broaden access to Jesuit Catholic higher education.

The 35 graduates are the first to complete ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Bellarmine’s rigorous two-year program, which launched in 2023 in partnership with the Diocese of Bridgeport. The initiative was created to serve underrepresented students in the Greater Bridgeport area, offering associate’s degrees in business, computer science, health studies, and liberal studies — alongside a comprehensive support system of academic, financial, and personal development resources.

¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Bellarmine’s innovative model is already yielding exceptional outcomes, with an 80 percent two-year graduation rate — far exceeding Connecticut’s community college three-year graduation rate, which remains below 20 percent. Approximately 90 percent of the graduates plan to continue their studies toward a bachelor’s degree at ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University.

During the ceremony, students were recognized for academic achievement, leadership, and service:

• Ana Catalina Aguirre AA'25 and Jaheim Kash-Wayne Mckie AS'25 were recognized as recipients of the inaugural Romero Award for exemplifying the values of a Catholic, Jesuit education.
• Francisco G. Martinez AA'25 earned the Kay Pierce Award for dedication to community service and academic achievement.
• Catherine Erol AS'25 and Trinity Santiago AA'25 were awarded the Bellarmine Medal for maintaining the highest academic averages in the graduating class.

Student speaker Scarllet E. Lopez AS'25, reflected on the support and encouragement she and her classmates received from faculty and staff throughout their time at ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Bellarmine.

“What we experienced here wasn't just academic learning. The professors and the Bellarmine staff made sure our time here was about more,” Lopez said. “They pushed us to be better. They believed in us even when we didn't believe in ourselves. They encouraged us when we felt overwhelmed... They reminded us that we were capable of more than we ever imagined.”

Lopez added, “We are Cohort One. The very first class of Bellarmine... We set the standard. And I know deep in my heart that the path we walked will open doors for others — students who once doubted if college was for them, who just needed one more chance to believe they belonged.”

In his remarks, ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Bellarmine Vice Provost and Executive Director Rev. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., recalled a powerful question asked by a student during an early campus visit: “Before the first day of classes of your first fall semester, we invited you to campus to see the newly renovated buildings. When we got to St. Ambrose Hall and the Bank of America study lounge, with its vaulted ceilings and stained glass, one of you paused and asked me: ‘Is this all for us?’

"‘Yes, all for you,’ I replied.”

Fr. O'Brien then reflected on how that simple question grew in meaning over time: “‘Is this all for us?’ Yes, ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Bellarmine is for you, because you are a child of God, worthy of an education rooted in excellence that forms the mind, heart and spirit… This is for you, because you have remarkable gifts, talents and beauty.”

He concluded by urging the graduates to embrace their deeper purpose: “Your diploma... means little unless it is a summons to service. In this way, you are messengers of hope.”

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