AP
Anna Poplawski
  • Political Studies
  • Class of 2017
  • Boylston, MA

Anna Poplawski Graduates from Bard College at Simon's Rock

2015 Aug 11

Anna Poplawski of Boylston, MA, recently graduated with distinction from Bard College at Simon's Rock with an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. Poplawski attended Holy Name Central Catholic High School before leaving to enter college early after completing 10th grade.

Poplawski was one of one hundred and thirty-five students to graduate from the early college on Monday, May 25, 2015. Thirty-six undergraduates received their B.A. degrees and ninety-nine students received their A.A. degrees.

Humorist and Journalist Henry Alford '80 delivered the commencement address. In his speech, the Simon's Rock alumnus told the early college graduates that a liberal arts education is the best preparation for success in life.

Alford explained, "The two most helpful things I took away from my time at the Rock were curiosity and the ability to make an informed choice. The world you guys are about to inhabit and take over is, more than ever, thanks to the internet, a data heap; every possible point of view is at your fingertips...There's a lot to consider out there. But the cool part of a liberal arts education is that it teaches you how to weigh the pros and cons, how to look at new information with skeptical optimism, and how then to proceed."

Bard College at Simon's Rock | The Early College, founded in 1966 and nestled in the bucolic Berkshires, is the only college in the country specifically designed for bright, highly motivated students ready to enter college early, usually after the 10th or 11th grade. Simon's Rock offers a challenging program in the liberal arts and sciences, taught exclusively in small seminars by a supportive, highly trained faculty. Degrees are granted in more than 40 majors. The Princeton Review's Best 379 Colleges rates academics at Simon's Rock higher than Harvard, Princeton and Yale. For more information visit www.simons-rock.edu.