“To the graduates today, be like seeds. Do not see dirt thrown at you as your enemy, but as grounds to grow,” University of Hartford basketball legend Vin Baker advised the Class of 2026 at UHart’s Commencement exercises.
Baker, the most accomplished men’s basketball player in the history of the University of Hartford, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the latter of two ceremonies held on Sunday at downtown Hartford’s PeoplesBank Arena.
Baker, currently an assistant coach with the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks, was honored for his achievements on and off the court.
In his time at UHart from 1989 to 1993, Baker garnered All-America honors two seasons in a row. He scored a single-season school-record 792 points over 28 games during the 1992–93 season, a mark that still stands. Drafted from UHart by the Bucks in 1993, Baker played for six teams in his 13-year NBA career and was a four-time All-Star. He was also a member of the gold-medal-winning 2000 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team.
“I’ve checked a lot of boxes and was blessed and fortunate to have played 13 years in the NBA,” Baker continued. But this is the most special day that I’ve had.”
In recognition of Baker’s enduring legacy, the University of Hartford will name its new outdoor athletics and recreation complex, scheduled to open in the fall, in his honor.
In her Commencement speech to undergraduates, Kathy Behrens ’85, president for social responsibility and player programs for the National Basketball Association, proudly called out her longtime friendship with Baker as well as their shared connection to the University.
“For those who know Vin, it is his resilience and faith that make him so exceptional,” Behrens said. “Vin, congratulations. Everyone says it because it’s true: ‘Great player, even better person.’ It may say ‘honorary’ on your doctoral degree, but you have certainly earned it. I am so proud of you and grateful to call you a friend.”
Behrens encouraged the undergraduates to be patient with the twists and turns of life, and to enjoy the small moments along the way. “I imagine some of you have started on your own career path and you have a clear vision of what is ahead for you,” she said. “Others have taken tentative first steps, but you don’t know exactly where you want them to lead. That is OK. You won’t always know what comes next. There is no straight path. So venture forth with confidence that you will find your way.”
Sabrina Trocchi MPA ‘96, president and chief executive officer of Wheeler Health, delivered the morning graduate address. She encouraged the graduates to be firm in their beliefs—as she put it, to “stand at [their] podium.”
“Maybe your podium shows up as early as next Monday,” Trocchi said, “speaking up in a meeting when someone is being reduced to a label, asking one more question instead of making an assumption, or setting a boundary that protects your integrity and your team. Name what you will stand for now, so you can recognize it when the moment comes.”
The University of Hartford’s class of 2026 includes 1,200 members: 772 undergraduates and 428 graduate students. Fifty-two percent of them are from the state of Connecticut; 12% are from elsewhere in New England; 30% are from other U.S. states; and 6% are international students.
For those graduating with bachelor’s degrees, top majors for the class of 2026 include psychology, architectural design and technology, nursing, illustration, and health sciences. Among graduate students, popular degree programs include Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Physical Therapy, MS in Prosthetics & Orthotics, MEd in Special Education, and MS in Business Analytics.
“Yes, it’s Sunday, but there are no classes tomorrow. Today, a new schedule begins,” Student Government President Royston Lester ’26 said in the traditional student charge to classmates. “A mountain once stood between you and everything you hoped for. It’s time to make that mountain move.”
Presiding over his second Commencement as UHart president, Lawrence P. Ward offered this advice to graduates: "I have never known anyone who lived a truly successful life, or fulfilling life, who did not also make space for joy in their life. You can and will achieve remarkable things—but without joy, even the greatest success can feel incomplete. Joy can be surprisingly elusive. We tell ourselves, 'I’ll make time for it later. After I reach this next milestone. After I get a little further ahead.' But later has a way of never arriving. Choosing joy in life is not foolishly believing that life is always easy. Rather, it is knowing that joy cometh in the morning—and there will always be hope when things get hard."