ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Sister Margaret Carney was back on the stage she graced for more than a decade, giving sage advice to nearly 700 graduates of St. Bonaventure University.

“Choose your navigational stars with great care,” she said. “Seek the steady light of the public servant — elected or appointed — who puts the common good ahead of personal gain. Seek the searing light of honestly reported news, honestly written history, honestly calculated data about our national life.”

Carney, who was named president emerita in 2016 after serving 12 years as the university’s leader, was the keynote speaker and recipient of an honorary doctorate at the university’s 165th annual Commencement Exercises Sunday at Reilly Center Arena.

Carney expressed dismay at the plummeting rank of the United States among nations on the World Happiness Report, driven primarily by increased isolation, loneliness and political acrimony. But she was comforted by what she heard from Bonaventure student leaders she met with just a few weeks ago.

“Collaboration is the watchword (here) and the sense of trust it creates is sterling,” she said. “It’s clear that you experience the practice of creating the happiness of a solid community — a community of shared values and vision.”

In the wake of a basketball recruiting scandal in 2003, Carney was asked to become the senior vice president for the Franciscan charism, working in tandem with interim President Father Dominic Monti, to re-establish faith in the institution. In 2004 she was named president, tasked with rejuvenating the university’s commitment to its mission and values.

A staunch proponent of diversity and student engagement, Carney also transformed the physical landscape of the campus.

Under her leadership, St. Bonaventure invested tens of millions in academic, athletic and dining projects. Much of the money was raised during the successful $95 million 150th Anniversary campaign that she spearheaded.

Also receiving an honorary degree Sunday, a Doctor of Fine Arts, was Carson Waterman, the iconic artist from the Seneca Nation. The citation bestowing the degree was read by Seneca Nation Councilor Klint Nephew, a 1992 alumnus of St. Bonaventure.

Seneca Nation Councilor Klint Nephew congratulates Carson Waterman on his honorary degree as Dr. David Hilmey, left, President Jeff Gingerich and SBU Board Chair Michael Hickey, right, look on.

“Carson’s work honors traditional stories and symbols, ensuring they are passed down to future generations,” Nephew said. “Carson has helped strengthen Seneca cultural pride and visibility, making him a treasured steward of Haudenosaunee traditions and a symbol of enduring Indigenous resilience.

Dr. Jeff Gingerich, university president, told the graduates their diplomas are more than just a piece of paper to advance their careers.

“As you step into the next chapter of your lives, you carry more than a degree — you carry a legacy. A Bona degree is a calling, not just a credential. It signifies a commitment to lifting others up and to living with moral clarity in a time that so often lacks it,” he said.

“The world you enter is increasingly fractured — by political division, by social injustice, by economic inequality. But where others see discord, I challenge you to be the bridge-builders.”

Anas Alami, a Business Management major from Brooklyn, talked about the “door-holding spirit” of St. Bonaventure — and the compassion he found here.

Anas Alami addresses his classmates during St. Bonaventure’s graduation ceremonies held Sunday.

“(Holding) that door, that simple act, started to represent something bigger,” said Alami, who was also named one of two Ideal Bonaventure Students in April. “At Bonaventure, holding a door isn’t just something we do. It’s a part of who we are. It’s a symbol of kindness, community, and connection. …

“As we walk across this stage today, we are stepping through one last door — a big door — and stepping into the world. Into uncertainty. Into opportunity. But wherever we go, we bring this with us —the Bonaventure way.”

Four-hundred two undergraduate students and 289 graduate students were recognized, which included students who graduated in December and those who will graduate in August.

Among the students honored was Mason Mascato, who passed away while awaiting a heart transplant just two months before graduation day. Several family members attended the ceremony, and Mason’s mother and sister crossed the stage to receive his already-framed diploma, receiving an emotional standing ovation from more than 5,000 in attendance.

The program from the ceremony, complete with all the graduates and academic award winners, can be viewed online.