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By ANNE GLEASON, Staff Writer Sunday, May 13, 2007

More than 900 University of Southern Maine students received their diplomas during the school's 127th commencement ceremony Saturday morning at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

The USM ceremony was the last to be presided over by Richard Pattenaude, the school's president, who will leave the university in July to become chancellor of the University of Maine system. Pattenaude served as USM's president for 16 years.

Pattenaude received standing ovations before and after his commencement speech, in which he reminded students of the importance of education and noted the achievements of a handful of the 15,000-plus graduates he has congratulated during his tenure as president.

In all, nearly 1,640 students were eligible to graduate from USM this year.

Pattenaude interacted with the graduates during his speech, prompting them to respond with, "Worked hard, did well, had fun," each time he asked why they had achieved success.

Student commencement speaker Lori Royer spoke about the diversity at USM. Royer and her mother, Vicki, were testament to the multigenerational aspect of this year's Maine college graduates.

Vicki Royer received a diploma Saturday from the University of Maine at Augusta, with a major in library and information technology.

Lori Royer received her degree in business administration, and she minored in music. She's considering working for the Peace Corps, then possibly becoming an entrepreneur and fostering her musical interests.

"I don't care if I'm 80 years old when it happens -- I'd love to be a jazz singer," she said.

Her mother, an elementary school librarian, took online courses to get her degree and further her career.

The two were allowed to walk at the same ceremony Saturday, though Lori sat on the stage.

"When I told her (about being commencement speaker), she said, 'You mean I have to march alone? I can't sit next to you and make faces?'" Lori Royer said.

After her mother realized what an honor being a speaker is, she added her congratulations. "It was really funny," Lori Royer said.

Shannon Jordan was one of four students donning pink sashes as members of the small women's studies department. Jordan had painted "Team Jordan" on her cap to link herself with her sister, who will be graduating from the University of California system next weekend.

Jordan already works as a temporary employee for a large company in Westbrook. She said she would like to find permanent work there.

The women's studies program provided her with a well-rounded education, she said.

On Saturday, she and the other three students in that program cheered and made their presence known when Pattenaude announced their department head.

"Small but mighty," he said in reply.

"We all came in with different majors, and we all fell into this major together," Jordan said after the ceremony. "We supported each other to get through it."

Colin Winsor of Newmarket, N.H., a music major with a jazz concentration, said he's keeping his options open. Winsor said he plans to play music in the area for a while and is considering a move to New York.

"I'm going to play good music for the rest of my life and get paid for it," Winsor said.

Emily Hanley, who graduated from the Lewiston-Auburn campus in December, came back Saturday to walk in the ceremony.

Hanley, who was a social services major, has been working in substance-abuse counseling since her graduation.

"It was important to my family," Hanley said of her participation in the ceremony.

For the first time, two USM students received doctoral degrees.

Also during the ceremony, Leon Gorman, chairman of the L.L. Bean board, and Lisa Gorman were given honorary doctorates of humane letters for their commitment to education. The Gormans established a $1 million USM scholarship fund to help Maine residents earn degrees.

Staff Writer Anne Gleason can be contacted at 282-8229 or at: