As FIT graduates prepare to embark on their post-college journeys, this year’s six commencement speakers—at seven ceremonies from May 18 to 20—shared lessons on how to navigate a creative career with resourcefulness, persistence, and drive.
Below are a handful of insights from the alumni luminaries who helped guide this year’s graduates into their next chapter.
Robert Geronimo, Illustration MFA ’17, art history and comic art professor at Brooklyn College, spoke at the School of Graduate Studies ceremony on May 18. The comic creator talked about the importance of embracing uncertainty—especially as an artist.
“Let rejection strengthen you,” Geronimo said. “Let difficulty teach you. Let silence train you. Let the hard seasons make you more grounded, not less. Embrace the challenge. Eat rejection for breakfast, and become who you were meant to become.”
Brandice Daniel, International Trade and Marketing BS ’12, reflected on how courage and tenacity grew from her failures at the May 19 undergraduate ceremony. The founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, who has worked with numerous brands like Nike, LVMH, Gap, and more, relayed the importance of trying things “a different way” when coming up against blocks.
“When things get hard, you will be tempted to stop dreaming,” Daniel said. “But the only way through hard moments is to keep dreaming anyway. When it feels like nothing is happening, something is building. And when the moment comes, when the door opens, when your name is called, don’t shrink—step into it.”
Chris Mazzilli, Menswear Design and Marketing ’85, founder of Gotham Comedy Club and producer of Downey’s Dream Cars, detailed how his working class New York roots informed his ability to dream big and flourish in entertainment, hospitality, and automotive restoration.
“I started as a kid bagging groceries with no connections and no roadmap, and I’ve achieved things I never thought possible, because I refused to give up,” he said at the May 19 ceremony. “As you walk out of here today, remember what my father said to me when I was 14: ‘Figure out what you love to do and find a way to make money at it.’ That advice built my entire life.”
Abigail DeVille, Fine Arts BFA ’09, whose immersive art installations have been exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Whitney Museum of American Art, spoke on May 20 about the importance of using one’s art in “the service of others.” She quoted great writers and thinkers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison.
“What’s your heart’s call? Will you answer it?” DeVille asked the graduating class. “You can—and will—do whatever you put your heart and hand to.”
Jeriana San Juan, Fashion Design BFA ’04, whose Emmy- and Costume Designers Guild–nominated work spans numerous film and television projects, inspired students to trust their creative process at the May 20 ceremony. “In the age of algorithms that aim to tell you where you belong and what you should see, only you can decide what’s worth making,” San Juan stated. “It’s your humanity, unique life experience, and taste that make you irreplaceable.”
Malene Djenaba Barnett, Textile/Surface Design BFA ’96, multidisciplinary artist and community builder, relayed the power of building an “archive” of passionate works that reflect one’s grit and glory. “You are here because you belong here,” she said. “We need your eye, your hand, your story. Do not shrink it to fit spaces that were not built for you. Expand the space by building your own.”
She concluded, “The opportunity that is meant for you is already being written. It will find you while you are deep in the making of something true and authentic.”
Find videos of the full ceremonies on FIT commencement website at fitnyc.edu/commencement or on FIT’s Vimeo channel.