Maria Alejandra Chavez Contreras Graduates From Colorado College

2014 Jun 17

Maria Alejandra Chavez Contreras graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology from Colorado College on May 19. Chavez Contreras is from Quito, Pichincha, .

Colorado College awarded 566 undergraduate degrees at its 132nd commencement, held outdoors on Armstrong Quad.

Jane Lubchenco, the first woman to serve as the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), gave the commencement address, titled "From Rats to Sharks: Tales of Public Service." She is a 1969 graduate of Colorado College.

"You millennials - because of your numbers and attitudes - are positioned to have immense influence on our country," Lubchenco told the graduating class. "You will elect the next six presidents of the United States. You will be the problem solvers and the leaders."

She advised the new graduates to be willing to take risks, be ready to challenge conventional wisdom, and give back to society through public service.

Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its 2,000 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive 3 1/2 -week segments. For more information, visit www.ColoradoCollege.edu.