A Day Of Many Stars (Excerpt)

Hartford Courant - May 22, 2000
By CYNDE RODRIGUEZ

It was a flashbulb frenzy when actress Amy Brenneman walked to the podium Sunday to encourage St. Joseph College graduates to venture into the world with confidence, knowing they are supported by those around them.

While Brenneman, a Connecticut native, brought a modern star quality to traditional pomp and circumstance - "She's on television!" people whispered - Tyler Green craned his neck to catch a glimpse of someone else.

Tyler was looking for Kathleen Haidinger of Newington, who earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. Tyler, 6, waited patiently as graduates strolled by, with his homemade sign saying, "My auntie is a superstar!"

About 360 students received bachelor's and master's degrees under a tent on the West Hartford campus Sunday, a cold and damp day on which several college graduations were held across the state.

Brenneman received an honorary degree, along with her mother, Frederica S. Brenneman, a longtime Superior Court judge who is now a Connecticut trial referee. Other degrees were given to Paul Gagne, a children's film producer; and Ida Castro, the chairwoman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Frederica Brenneman encouraged graduates to improve lives and alleviate the pain of others.

Amy Brenneman talked about how a child newly discovering the world - with wide eyes and outstretched arms - might become nervous, but is reassured knowing that her parents are behind her to provide protection and support.

"You all have your own guardians," said Brenneman, the creator and star of the CBS drama "Judging Amy," in which Brenneman plays a single mother who leaves New York City to become a family court judge in Hartford. The show's original premise is based on her mother's life.

Brenneman told graduates that if they should become unsure of themselves, "Look behind you. See your guardians waving you on."

One student, Tuesday Dawn Nosal-Elliott, thanked her family for standing behind her as she pursued a bachelor's degree in dietetics and nutrition. In five years, there were times Nosal-Elliott wanted to quit - when she had a car accident, when the furnace in her home exploded, when the southpaw broke her left wrist. But she persevered. Choking back tears, Nosal-Elliott said, "I wanted to be a role model for my children."


Copyright © 2000 The Hartford Courant. All rights reserved.