Emilio Barbosa ‘24 ‘25MBA was determined to cross the stage to get his diploma with his graduate class on Thursday night, even if “walk” meant something a little different and unexpected than it had as an undergraduate. 

As his classmates lined up in the Rotunda to begin their procession through the Archway, Barbosa stood to the side, supported by a pair of crutches. Two weeks ago, he suffered a serious knee injury playing in an intramural soccer game; required surgery was performed just a week ago. 

“I really wanted to walk,” Barbosa, a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, who plans to return home to work in his family’s logistics business after graduation, explained while waiting for a wheelchair to arrive. “It's a once in a lifetime experience, and I want to make my family proud.” 

About an hour later, Barbosa achieved his goal, rising from the wheelchair to be hooded and receive his diploma alongside 224 other Bryant graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, and the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences. Of these newly minted MBAs, 92 were, like Barbosa, “double Bulldogs”  —  Bryant alums with both undergraduate and graduate degrees. 

Earlier, black-robed graduates and their families had settled into their seats on an unusually muggy spring evening to be welcomed by Bryant President Ross Gittell, Ph.D., who offered encouragement to those entering the job market in a historically challenging time. 

“You will be leaders in a world with accelerating application of AI and data analytics, stronger and more polarized social movements, and heightened economic uncertainty,” said Gittell. “With your Bryant degree, I am confident that you will have the skills to tackle complexity, drive innovation, and seize opportunities that will improve organizations, uplift communities, and shape a brighter future for yourselves, your family, and, importantly, for others." 

Martha L. Wofford, CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree, with Bryant Trustee Ann-Marie Harrington ’86 calling her “a visionary leader in American healthcare whose work has transformed lives, redefined care delivery, and championed equity and access across our nation.”  

Wofford, newly clad in her ceremonial black and gold Bryant gown, then stepped to the podium to deliver the Commencement address. She joked that the class of 2025 deserved an extra degree in “advanced resilience,” having endured both the COVID-19 pandemic and the current “economic rollercoaster.” 

Citing lessons from her own, sometimes imperfect career journey, Wofford urged Bryant graduates to seek work that is truly fulfilling and personally interesting.  

“I guarantee if you find work you really like, you will do it better,” she said.  

Being a good leader means developing good “followership” through open communication, she added. “You can’t tell people what to do and expect them to produce much,” said Wofford. “You have to inspire people to want to be part of something bigger than themselves.” 

As a former student athlete, Wofford admitted that she struggled early in her career with being overly competitive.  

“People often give advice about managing up and managing down, but I think managing across, by which I mean building peer relationships, matters the most,” she said. “Great teams not only know who to compete against, they also know what their individual jobs are. They do their jobs, and by reliably executing in their lanes, they build trust and win as a team.” 

Urging graduates to take the time to embrace this important moment in their lives, Wofford said, “We certainly are in for a wild ride. It will be stressful and there will always be more work to do, but I urge you to prioritize human connection, to not put too much pressure on yourself, and to have fun.”  

“We certainly are in for a wild ride. It will be stressful and there will always be more work to do, but I urge you to prioritize human connection, to not put too much pressure on yourself, and to have fun.”  

Citing a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt — ‘Far and away the greatest prize in life is to work hard at work worth doing’ — Wofford told graduates, “I am confident that you will find that greatest prize.” 

Maximus Villar ’23, ’25 MBA has been working hard at what he loves since he transferred as a junior from Georgetown University to Bryant; in just two short years as an undergraduate, he was named captain of the football team, made the Dean’s List, and received the 2023 Character Award, among other accomplishments.  

After graduating with a degree in Finance, Villar decided to use his last year of NCAA eligibility — deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic — to pursue his MBA at Bryant. “This is just another door that football has opened up for me,” he said.  

For another “double Bulldog,” Diego Trejo ’24, ‘25MBA, pursuing a graduate degree didn’t just mean continuing his education, but also enriching his Bryant experience.  

“I was on the tennis team before so this is my first year not being an athlete at this school,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it more because I’ve forced myself to branch out and meet new people, not just those on my team.” 

Earning an MBA means creating an opportunity to teach at Bryant for Paige Zuber-Weishaus ‘25MBA, who works as the university’s assistant director of social media marketing when not attending classes.  

“I was able to go back nearly eight years after graduating college to get my MBA,” she said. “I'm going to be teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences about communication, strategic planning, and content creation. It’s literally a dream come true.  

“It was challenging being in a classroom again but I'm immensely glad I pushed myself,” added Zuber-Weishaus. “This degree is for my mom, who's no longer with us. I know she's here today, and I know she'd be really proud of me.”