Shayla R. Williams of Colton was one of 504 seniors who recently graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, receiving a bachelor of arts degree.

Williams, who majored in biology, attended Colton-Pierrepont Central School and is the daughter of James Williams and Donna Dilworth of Colton.

Internet pioneer and author Arianna Huffington was the commencement guest speaker.

In front of a crowd numbering in the thousands, Huffington spoke about the need to unplug and get some rest, urging graduates to connect with others personally -- not electronically -- and change the culture and language around work and sleep.

"Frankly, it's a chaotic world," Huffington said. "We take much better care of our smartphones than we do of ourselves."

The author of a bestselling book about sleep deprivation, Huffington said that the multitude of devices and overload of information in people's lives has resulted in stress and sleep problems.

Colby President David A. Greene, handed a diploma to each of the graduates.