MCLA to Hold Convocation on Aug. 31
NORTH ADAMS, MASS. —Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will hold an in-person Convocation ceremony for first-year students at noon on Tuesday, August 31, at the Amsler Campus Center Gym.
Convocation is a traditional event that officially welcomes MCLA’s first-year students into the campus community. Students will line up to walk through the College’s iconic gates for the first time, followed by lunch and a speech from Lucas McDiarmid ’15, who serves as district director to State Senator Anne M. Gobi, in the Commonwealth’s Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex District.
Students and guests at Convocation will follow current COVID-19 public health protocols as outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, including mask-wearing and social distancing.
“I’m so excited to welcome the Class of 2025 to campus, and to come together for Convocation in person this year,” said MCLA President James F. Birge. “Convocation is one of our favorite traditions here, and it will be wonderful to clap and cheer for this class of resilient Trailblazers as they walk through the gates.”
About Lucas McDiarmid
Lucas McDiarmid is a 2015 graduate of MCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Policy. In 2019, He obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from Norwich University. He has worked on various political campaigns, served as an administrator with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, worked to promote corporate social responsibility and combat human trafficking with the global nonprofit Verite Inc., and later worked as the development coordinator at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, helping to create a $1 million net annual fundraising event.
As a senior aide for Sen. Gobi, he manages intergovernmental affairs and grant support, manages the Senator’s portfolio as Senate Chair of the Special Legislative Commission on Agriculture, and works to provide constituent services. During the COVID-19 outbreak, McDiarmid managed the Senator’s response to the pandemic, including working to support local first responders and healthcare workers, requisitioning needed PPE and medical supplies. McDiarmid spends time outdoors with his family and friends. He is actively involved as a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County, and an outings leader with Latino Outdoors, Western Massachusetts Chapter.
About MCLA:
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, as leaders, communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 125-year commitment to public education we have fortified our commitment to equitable academic excellence. For eight of the last 10 years, MCLA has been named a Top Ten College by U.S. News and World Report. MCLA also appears on the organization’s list of top National Public Liberal Arts Colleges, as well as on the top 50 schools in U.S. News’ Social Mobility Ranking, which measures how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.
For more information, go to www.mcla.edu.