At the College’s 186th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 20, 542 seniors received B.A. or B.S. degrees and 43 graduates received master’s degrees.

Commencement speaker Anne Fadiman urged members of the Class of 2012 to practice humility, be tolerant of others and respectful of social, and cultural differences.

“I ask you to do two contradictory things—honor difference and commonality,” said Fadiman, whose prize-winning book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, won the 1997 National Books Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction. “There is a way to do both. Don’t assume that you . . . stand at the center of the universe. It isn’t true and it never helps.”

Fadiman’s appearance marked a homecoming of sorts. She addressed the Class of 2012 when they arrived as first-year students in the fall of 2008 and were assigned to read her book. “So we begin and end together,” Fadiman said. “I’m honored to complete the circle.”

Fadiman received an honorary doctor of letters degree and was joined by two other distinguished honorands, Ingrid Mattson, professor of Islamic Studies at the Hartford Seminary, and Ward S. Curran ’57, a member of the College’s economics faculty who also recently served as secretary of the college. The valedictorian was Mary Morr and the salutatorian was Kayla Demers.

Susan Masino, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, received the Trustee Award for Faculty Excellence. Two students were given the Trustee Award for Student Excellence, Herman Brito and Lorenzo Sewanan. Doris Kammradt, head librarian-collections, research, and instruction, received the Trustee Award for Staff Excellence. Ellison Banks Findley, professor of religion and international studies, was presented with the Thomas Church Brownell Prize for Teaching Excellence and The Arthur H. Hughes Award for Teaching Excellence went to Seth Markle, assistant professor of history and international studies.