It's an emotional weekend for many soon-to-be graduates attending commencements, but some in the Capital Region are saying goodbye for good. The 103-year-old College of Saint Rose is one of 11 institutions to recently announce its closure in New York.
On Friday, alumni gathered to share fond memories formed on a campus, now seeing its final class after generations educating students across the state.
Saint Rose will deliver diplomas to it’s final graduating class on Saturday. Residence halls closed for the final time on Thursday.
In December, college leaders were forced to announce its closure amid ongoing financial and enrollment woes.
It’s a campus with a storied history. Thousands of students have come and gone, becoming professionals in their respected fields, whether it was teaching, nursing, or journalism.
Mary Alice Molgard taught in Saint Rose’s communications department for nearly four decades. On the eve of the college’s final commencement, she wanted to make one more lasting memory on campus.
Molgard rallied more than 100 of her former students and colleagues for a reunion of sorts. While a somber occasion, there were a lot of smiles and laughs.
Molgard said it reminded her that the lasting legacy at Saint Rose will be everything but the turmoil that led to it’s demise.
“The legacy here is the people and the environment, and what it was," the former professor said. "Not the chaos, not the problems, not the financial crisis. What people are going to remember is that this was a welcoming and warm place for them.”
Thanks to social media, Molgard believes this group, despite this campus closing, will be in touch for years to come.
The College of Saint Rose’s final commencement is 10 a.m. Saturday in the MVP Arena.