This past Saturday may have been the first commencement under the banner of Northern Vermont University-Johnson, but students have been graduating from Johnson for more than 150 years, showing their true colors in cap and gown, time after time. And, although their previous four years might have been academically rigorous, come graduation, everyone really just wants to have fun.
Grammy Award-winning artist Cyndi Lauper was the keynote speaker, returning to campus more than 40 years after attending Johnson State College. She didn’t earn a degree back in the 1970s — she was an art student in 1973 and 1974 — but she was conferred Saturday with an honorary doctorate for her artistic accomplishments and for her dedication to raising awareness and funds for the LGBTQ community.
Lauper told about how, in 1971, she was living on welfare and landed in Burlington, and how she really got her start in the Green Mountain State. She still had a hat she got from “the free store” back then that became the inspiration for her critically-acclaimed 1993 album “Hat Full of Stars.”
Lauper urged students to “make your bad luck your good luck,” and told a story about how, while on welfare in 1971, she was given an opportunity to get her GED and get into Johnson.
Shortly before the day of the GED test, she was in a car crash — she wasn’t driving, but she had to show up for the test on crutches. She wasn’t a very good student, she was nervous test taker, and the test was timed. But the “little old ladies” who administered the test were impressed Lauper showed up on crutches, and gave her extra time to finish the test.
“So, my bad luck became my good luck,” she said.
According to university spokesperson Sylvia Plumb, a total of 330 students received degrees, although they weren’t all on hand to walk Saturday. Plumb said that figure included degrees earned last August and last December, in addition to the May graduates.
As for Lauper’s speech, Plumb said, “She was fabulous. She was very humble and she really credited some things that she learned at Johnson for what she’s done in her life.”
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