Commencement 2024: Featured Speakers

Jessica Faieta ’85

Myra Kressner ’76

SUNY New Paltz will welcome distinguished alumnae Jessica Faieta ’85 (Economics; Business Administration) and Myra Kressner ’76 (Secondary Education: English) to campus to deliver the Commencement Addresses at undergraduate ceremonies on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, 2024, respectively.

Faieta, who currently serves as a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, worked for nearly three decades with the United Nations, where she held a variety of leadership roles that primarily supported communities and governments in Latin America and the Caribbean. She will address graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the Saturday Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 18. Faieta will also receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree, the highest form of recognition offered by the State University of New York.

Kressner is a leading advocate for individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her engagement with her alma mater has often intersected with her passion for this cause. She established the new Kressner Autism Spectrum Program Fund to provide New Paltz students with tools and resources to succeed in college and after graduation. Kressner will address graduates of the Schools of Business, Education, Fine & Performing Arts, and Science & Engineering at the Sunday Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 19.

Please read on for brief bios of our honored guests and links to more extensive profiles of their professional accomplishments and contributions to the SUNY New Paltz community.

Jessica Faieta ’85 came to the University as an international student from Ecuador and used her time here to propel herself toward a nearly three-decade career with the United Nations. She has witnessed first-hand the effects of extreme poverty, natural disasters and conflict on the most vulnerable, and has been part of large-scale humanitarian, peacebuilding and development efforts to help societies grow.

“It has been a privilege to dedicate my life to the positive transformation of the lives of the poorest, the most left-behind people on the planet,” Faieta said. “My journey started with my education at SUNY New Paltz, where my values and convictions were forged.”

In the midst of this work, Faieta consistently made time to return to her alma mater and share her wisdom and experiences with SUNY New Paltz students. She has supported multiple programs in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences through talks and internship opportunities, is a two-time keynote speaker for the University’s Women’s Leadership Summit and previously addressed our graduates as a 2017 Commencement speaker.

Please use this link to read more about Jessica Faieta ’85.

Myra Kressner ’76 has served on the SUNY New Paltz Foundation Board of Directors since 2012 and is a 2021 recipient of the Heritage Award, which honors those whose devotion to the University’s ideals and mission serve as extraordinary examples to the campus community.

“I have had the opportunity to spend time with New Paltz students and many of them really do inspire me and my fellow Foundation Board members,” Kressner said. “When we speak with these bright and talented students, hear their vision for the future, or for some, the challenges they have overcome to succeed at New Paltz, we are motivated to do even more students seeking their higher education at New Paltz, a ‘glorious jewel in the mid-Hudson Valley.’”

Kressner entered the publishing industry shortly after graduating from New Paltz and later became co-founder of CSP Business Media, building an impressive portfolio of innovative media in print, web-based and conference/trade show communication. In 2020, Kressner co-founded Vision Group Network, a leadership share group for cross-channel discussion of disruptive solutions within convenience retail and mobility industries.

Please use this link to read more about Myra Kressner ’76.

About Commencement 2024 at SUNY New Paltz

This year’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, 2024, on the Old Main Quad on the SUNY New Paltz campus. Both ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m.

The Saturday Ceremony honors graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and the Sunday Ceremony honors graduates of the School of Business, School of Education, School of Fine & Performing Arts and School of Science & Engineering.

The Graduate Commencement Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 17, at 6 p.m., also on the Old Main Quad.

More information at https://www.newpaltz.edu/commencement/.

About the SUNY Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters

The Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters is the highest form of recognition offered by the State University of New York, honoring exceptional scholarship, service and professional achievements that stand as an example for the many diverse students attending SUNY institutions.