Marywood University President urges CUEA Graduates to use Their Education to Transform Lives
By Stephen Mbobu
As the University graduated 3228 students, the Chief Guest at the event was Lisa Lori, J.D. the President of Marywood University in Pennsylvania, United States.
In her speech, she challenged graduates of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) to use their education to serve others and contribute to the common good, emphasising that the true value of a university degree lay in its impact on society.
She urged them to look beyond personal achievement and consider how their knowledge, professional skills and opportunities could improve the lives of others.
“As graduates of a Catholic university, there is an even deeper question before you: Not simply, ‘What will my degree do for me?’ But, ‘What will I do with my degree for others?’” she asked.
She noted that the question was central to Catholic higher education, which sought to develop the whole person, bring faith and reason into dialogue, uphold the dignity of every human being and promote responsibility for the common good.
“Your education is not only about the life you will build for yourself. It is also about the lives you will touch and help build for others,” she said.
Catholic Education as a Force for Transformation
Lori observed that Marywood University and CUEA shared a commitment to the transformative power of Catholic education.
Marywood University, a Catholic institution founded and sponsored by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is among the founders and corporate members of the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC), which partners with CUEA to facilitate higher education for Catholic Sisters through the Higher Education for Sisters in Africa (HESA) programme.
She congratulated the graduates on their achievement, acknowledging the examinations, deadlines, late nights and other challenges they had overcome to reach graduation day. She also recognised the contribution of families, friends and lecturers who had supported them along the way.
However, she reminded them that earning a degree was not simply about acquiring knowledge, but about deciding how to apply it in service to others.
Lessons from Wangari Maathai and Other Changemakers
To illustrate the far-reaching impact of service, Lori drew lessons from the classic American film It’s a Wonderful Life, the life of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Wangari Maathai (Kenya’s first Nobel Peace winner), and the experiences of two CUEA alumnae, Sister Irene Kwena and Sister Charity Nyawira Gathungu.
Through the story of George Bailey, the main character in It’s a Wonderful Life, she highlighted how seemingly ordinary acts could make a lasting difference in the lives of others. Although Bailey had ambitious personal dreams, he remained in his hometown to run his family business and help working families secure homes. He later discovered how significantly his life had affected his community.
Lori connected this lesson to the life of Professor Maathai, whose work with rural Kenyan women led to the establishment of the Green Belt Movement.
She recalled how Maathai listened to women describe the challenges facing their communities, including drying streams, soil erosion, food insecurity and shortages of clean drinking water and firewood. Recognising the link between environmental degradation and these difficulties, Maathai mobilised women to plant trees.
What began as an environmental initiative developed into a broader movement that helped women earn income, support their families, educate their children and build confidence in their ability to change their circumstances.
Lori observed that Maathai’s contribution extended beyond environmental conservation to women’s empowerment and community transformation. In 2004, Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
For Lori, the story demonstrated how listening, responding to community needs and taking practical action could generate change far beyond what people initially imagined.
CUEA Alumna Demonstrate the Power of Service