U.S. Marine Lt. Andrew Kinard Named 2013 Iona College Undergraduate Commencement Speaker

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - April 4, 2013 - PRLog -- New Rochelle, NY (April 4, 2013) – Lt. Andrew Kinard, Iraq War veteran and hero, has been named the 2013 Iona College Undergraduate Commencement speaker. He will deliver his address during graduation ceremonies at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Saturday, May 18, at 11 a.m. Lt. Kinard also will be the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree.
“Lt. Kinard is an extraordinary person who exemplifies the steadfast character of our students and embodies the spirit of Iona,’” said President Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D. “He has optimistically persevered and, through his service to country and his work since, has been an inspiration to mankind and a beacon of hope in helping others to overcome adversity.”

In addition to Lt. Kinard, honorary degrees will be conferred for Sister Danielle Marie Baran, CR, recently retired past principal of Maria Regina High School, and New York Police Officer Lawrence De Primo, who gained international notoriety when he was photographed giving a homeless man with no shoes and blistered feet a pair of winter boots and socks.

Andrew Kinard, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, deployed to the Al Anbar province of Iraq in 2006 as an infantry platoon commander.  While leading a team of U.S. Marines on a routine foot patrol, an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded directly under his feet. The damage resulted in the amputation of both of his legs at the hip. He suffered massive wounds to his abdomen and was in a coma for a month. In all, he endured more than 70 surgeries, as well as a year and half of physical rehabilitation.  It was during his lengthy recovery that he resolved to overcome his difficult circumstances and impact the world in a meaningful way.

While awaiting medical retirement from the Marine Corps, Mr. Kinard interned in the Office of Legislative Counsel at the Pentagon and served as a military fellow in the office of a United States Senator.  Since retirement, Andrew has served on the board of directors of Wounded Warrior Project, a national charity that seeks to honor and empower veterans disabled in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He is currently completing a joint degree from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School.

Lt. Kinard’s awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Navy Achievement Medal with Combat “V,” and the Combat Action Ribbon, among others. Honorary degree recipient Sister Danielle Marie Baran was principal of Immaculate Conception School in Waterlivet, N.Y., for five years prior to coming to Maria Regina High School, for five years as assistant principal and another 20 years as principal.  In addition, she has served as assistant provincial superior of the New York Province, directed spiritual retreats, and facilitated spirituality days for Catholic schools throughout the New York Archdiocese.  Sister Danielle’s contributions have been widely recognized, including by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence/ Westchester, which named her as outstanding educational leader, and the St. Augustine’s Ladies Auxiliary and the

Sts. John and Paul Women’s Guild in Larchmont, N.Y., which presented her the Silvia Muldoon Woman of Spirit Award.

 Honorary degree recipient Lawrence De Primo became international known when a tourist took his photo in November 2012.  The NYPD officer bought a homeless man a pair of winter boots and socks after he became aware that the individual had none.  The photograph was widely circulated on social media and the story was later covered by major news outlets.  According to the New York Times, DePrimo has kept the receipt for the boot in his pocket since to remind him “that sometimes people have it worse.”  The 25-year-old officer was commended by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and honored by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.