Springfield College Stepping Up Day 2024

By: Damon Markiewicz

Springfield College hosted the Annual Stepping Up Day Ceremony on Thursday, April 11, 2024, with the ceremony taking place on the steps inside the Flynn Campus Union. With Stepping Up Day, the first-year students take a step up, sophomores become juniors, juniors become seniors, and seniors become alumni.

As part of the ceremony, Springfield College Director of Alumni Relations Deleney Magoffin '05, G'11, welcomed the soon to be graduating Class of 2024 into the alumni association, as senior Karly Suppicich placed the Class of 2024 ribbon on the alumni key. The spring of 1926 saw the first Stepping Up Day, which replaced the old “Decapitation Day” exercises, when the freshmen were allowed to remove their green beanies.

This year’s ceremony also included the swearing in of the new Student Government Association (SGA) President Carter Cochardo, Class of 2025, who took over for recent SGA President, Mason Preble, a member of the Class of 2024. In addition, elected Class Presidents took their official oath of office as Sal Fazio (Class of 2025), Jocelyn Bravo (Class of 2026), and Joe Kosior (Class of 2027) were officially sworn in by Vice President for Student Affairs Slandie Dieujuste, PhD.

Concluding the ceremony was the awarding of the second recipient of the Molly Gorman Bourne '05 Scholarship Fund. Xavier Lockhart (Class of 2025) was this year’s recipient. Presenting Lockhart with his honor was Molly’s sister, Kelsey Anne Sullivan, and Aaron Dombroski '05.

The Molly Gorman Bourne '05 Scholarship Fund was created by Molly’s sister, Kelsey Anne Sullivan, and Meghann '06 and Aaron '05 Dombroski in recognition of their friend and classmate, Molly Gorman Bourne. Molly was a motivated business administration major, student government vice president, resident assistant, new student orientation leader, and captain of the ski team, which is where she earned the nickname “Rockstar.”

Molly excelled and went “all in” with everything she put her mind to, leading her peers with integrity, dedication, and passion. She truly embodied our Humanics philosophy. Whether she was lifting the heaviest weights, saving lives in the Emergency Room as a nurse, leading with grit, grace, and determination, or simply laughing, Molly inspired everyone. With this scholarship, we honor Molly by continuing her legacy of inspiring others and making a difference in this world.