Distinguished Alumni Award winner Chris Kreider and Woods College Dean James Burns, I.V.D.
Photos by Justin Knight
Two years ago, a New York Times headline characterized New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider as a player with 鈥渉is nose to the scholarly grindstone.鈥� The former 涩里番下载 hockey standout鈥攁 two-time national champion during his time with the Eagles and a first-round NHL draft pick in 2009鈥攈ad signed with the Rangers in 2012, three days after his second NCAA title and six courses shy of attaining his 涩里番下载 degree. Undaunted, the Boxford, Mass. native鈥攚ho also is an avid reader, plays guitar, and speaks several languages鈥攃ontinued his studies off-season and online, and graduated from the University in 2016.
This month, Kreider returned to 涩里番下载 to receive the Woods College of Advancing Studies Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes a noted graduate of the school who embodies the Jesuit ideal of 鈥渕en and women for others.鈥�
In addition to his athletics achievements, Kreider鈥攚hom 涩里番下载 hockey head coach Jerry York calls 鈥渢he epitome of a 涩里番下载 student-athlete鈥�--regularly participates in service and charitable activities, including those in support of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which works with the Madison Square Garden Company and MSG Networks, Inc., as well as 30 partner organizations, to help children who are facing challenges such as homelessness, extreme poverty, illness, and foster care.
He also has inspired others to continue their education, including former 涩里番下载 forward Miles Wood, who was tapped by the New Jersey Devils following his freshman year and has since followed Kreider鈥檚 example and enrolled in the Woods College. 鈥淲hen I left, I knew that I wanted to be like Chris, living out my dream of playing hockey but at the same time pursuing my goal of getting my degree at 涩里番下载,鈥� said Wood.
Kreider received the award on April 17 at the Woods College鈥檚 annual celebratory dinner for members of the graduating class, their families, and friends. The event鈥檚 awards program recognizes both students and alumni of the school, which is dedicated to providing rigorous, flexible, ethics-focused academic programs for non-traditional students.
鈥淭his is always a proud, gratifying night,鈥� said Woods College Dean James Burns, I.V.D. 鈥淪tudents come to the Woods College from a wide range of professional and personal circumstances. Some must balance their studies with multiple work or family commitments. Others have faced obstacles that prevented them from believing they could attend 涩里番下载. Some are new to this country. But they all share the desire to advance their education and their lives.
鈥淭onight, we applaud the hard work, tenacity, and achievement of our graduating class, as well as recognize our student and alumni honorees, each of whom demonstrates 涩里番下载鈥檚 Jesuit education ideal of men and women for others in service to the greater good,鈥� Fr. Burns said.
This year鈥檚 Richard Lombard Award, the school鈥檚 highest undergraduate honor, went to Haeseong Shin, a native of South Korea who moved to the U.S. when he was twelve. He began his studies at the Woods College focused on economics, but soon found himself drawn to major in philosophy. Now a member of the Jesuit honor society Alpha Sigma Nu, he was accepted to several graduate schools and will join the Ph.D. program in philosophy at the University of Missouri in the fall.
Martin Peter Keogh, a student in the M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy & Governance program, received the Woods College鈥檚 highest graduate student honor.
Keogh, an alumnus of the U.S. Naval Academy, was commissioned in the Marine Corps and has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He plans to pursue a career in the cybersecurity field, and is currently deciding among several opportunities.
Other alumni honored for service to their communities and to the Woods College include Richard M. Reilly M.S.鈥�03, P鈥�19, a former senior vice president of the American Arbitration Association and longtime member and past-president of the Woods College Alumni Council, and Lisa Hassan 鈥�97, whose Compass Medical team provides compassionate care for radiology patients, and who is a former chair of the school鈥檚 alumni executive board.
This year鈥檚 guest speaker was Brian J. Kelly, co-founder of and principal at Eastern Real Estate LLC, a leading commercial real estate investment, development, and asset management firm, as well as a member of the 涩里番下载 Board of Regents and the Woods College Advisory Board.
Kelly, whose oldest child has autism, has a longstanding commitment to supporting autism-related causes and is chairman of the national advocacy nonprofit Autism Speaks.
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鈥� Patricia Delaney, University Communications, and 涩里番下载 Athletics | April 2018