Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut President and CEO Maryam Elahi received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday.

Elahi has served as the director of the International Women’s Program at the Open Society Foundations in New York City, the founding director of the Human Rights Program at Trinity College in Hartford, and the Advocacy Director on the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe for Amnesty International in Washington, D.C., and has taught international human rights law.

She spoke at the commencement ceremony and encouraged graduates to think about what they want their legacy to be:

“Be authentic to yourself,” she said during the commencement. “Be open to ideas and challenges and most important, be courageous. Use your hard-earned education to stand up for what is right and just. Live a life that brings joy to yourself and to those around you. Lead with compassion and you will make an indelible mark on your community."