Graduates, families, friends, faculty and staff gathered online to celebrate commencement exercises on May 15.
In her welcome address Barbara Kavalier, Ph.D., 麻豆传媒 president, congratulated the graduates on their hard work and dedication. More than 900 students applied for graduation this year.
鈥淵ou will leave this commencement to begin a new chapter in your life,鈥� said Dr. Kavalier. 鈥淭his next chapter will bring new opportunities, new roles and new expectations. You will become the next generation of leaders who will shape our country's future. We are so proud of all that you have accomplished.鈥�
Jennylee Cracchiola was chosen as the student speaker for the ceremony. She received her associate of arts degree with highest honors.
鈥淭oday we celebrate something unique,鈥� Cracchiola said in the virtual ceremony. 鈥淭his is a time in our lives we have worked hard for, noting that even a pandemic and personal struggles couldn't stop us.鈥�
Cracchiola spoke of her own personal journey to graduation and how it's helped shape her into the person she is today.
鈥淢y life didn't move in the direction I had planned or expected,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 am a widow with two children. I work 11 hours a day and navigate home life, grief counseling and college classes. I put my education on pause for a long time, but my determination to reach my goals kept me moving forward.鈥�
Stephanie Unger knows how difficult the journey can be to a degree. Like Cracchiola, she refused to give up
鈥淚've been working toward my degree in database management for the last six years,鈥� Unger said. 鈥淚've raised my son as a single mother, changed jobs, navigated through the pandemic, and am now achieving an educational goal I've had for more than 16 years.鈥�
Charlene Bartolsie has been working as a Licensed Practical Nurse for the last 26 years, and she always dreamed of becoming a Registered Nurse. This year, her dream finally came true.
鈥淟ife happened, and I got busy,鈥� Bartolsie explained. 鈥淚f it hadn't been for my employers giving me the gift of paying for my education, I would still just be an LPN. I am so lucky and blessed to have so many great people standing with me to achieve this goal.鈥�
As a biology faculty member, Dr. Nicole Pinaire is constantly amazed at what her students can accomplish in the face of hardship and adversity
鈥淵ou are the graduates who showed up and you saw your goals through,鈥� Pinaire said in the virtual commencement ceremony. 鈥淵ou showed up. During a really, really hard time, when it would have been easy to quit - and no one would have blamed you - you continued to show up. When things completely turned upside down in your academic careers, you stuck it out.鈥�
Also at the ceremony, Seth Peimann, National HealthCare Corporation administrator, was named the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award winner by the 麻豆传媒 Foundation.
Congrats to all our graduates. We know you will make us proud!