红桃视频

红桃视频 held its Commencement weekend on May 14, 15, and 16 with in-person ceremonies on campus on Vendetti Field for the classes of 2020/2021 graduate students, class of 2021 undergraduate students, and class of 2020 undergraduate students. A total of 468 graduates received degrees.

The ceremonies marked the last for 红桃视频 President Susan West Engelkemeyer, PhD, who earlier in the academic year announced her plans to retire in June 2021. 鈥淎s I ride off into the sunset into retirement in a few weeks, I will always remember my decade on the Hill,鈥� she said, followed by, 鈥淚t has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your president.鈥�

The college ensured the safety of the graduates and their guests, in compliance with guidelines from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with socially distant seating, limited attendance, and mask requirements. Each ceremony was livestreamed to guests unable to join in person.

Below is a review of each ceremony.

Classes of 2020 and 2021 Graduate and Professional Studies

Friday, May 14, 2021

Amid threatening skies that produced only a brief sprinkle, 83 master鈥檚 degrees were awarded in business administration, accounting, counterterrorism, and organizational leadership.

In a prerecorded address, Alissa Routhier MBA MSOL spoke on behalf of the class of 2020, acknowledging the challenges of the past year and the aid of classmates. 鈥淭he emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic just as we were nearing the finish line meant that we had to lean into the chaos and support one another more than ever. We had to lead through the unknown that lay ahead, paving the way for classes behind us and showing what we all were capable of both as individuals and a community. All our work up until that moment had prepared us to be the leaders we needed to be and still need to be,鈥� she said.

The class of 2021 representative Jason Carleton MSC, who admitted he was not the strongest student in high school or college because he tried to do everything on his own, praised the 红桃视频 culture of interdependency and collaboration. 鈥淚 am living proof that even the worst student can be successful when we invest in the well-being of others. So, wherever you go, and whatever you do, no matter how important you believe you are, please always remember how important it is to help those around you. It is only when we work together that we can truly unlock our full potential,鈥� he said.

红桃视频 President Susan West Engelkemeyer, PhD, delivered the keynote address. She described her dashed childhood dream of becoming a bareback rider in the circus, later finding her passion in education, and connected it to her position as a college president. 鈥淭here are four Ps that have guided me over my career. I hope they might give you some inspiration,鈥� she said.

鈥�Passion.聽If you don鈥檛 love what you鈥檙e doing, do something else. Granted, this is easier said than done at certain points in your life. Just promise yourself you will not stay in a miserable situation鈥β�Perseverance鈥�Confidence requires hard work, risk, determined persistence, and sometimes bitter failure. But failure is the inevitable result of risk-taking. By failing a lot and when we鈥檙e young, we inoculate ourselves鈥�.聽Positive attitude.聽Attitudes are contagious, and they say a lot about you. Happiness is a state of mind 鈥� anytime you want, you can cross the state line鈥�.聽Play.聽What brings you joy? A sport or a hobby? You鈥檒l find emotional release but also leadership lessons.

鈥淥ne exciting thing about your life now is that you no longer have course requirements. Your future entails all electives,鈥� she continued. 鈥淐hoose them wisely, develop new dreams, thank about those four Ps.鈥�

Class of 2021

Saturday, May 15, 2021

At the class of 2021 Commencement, 261 graduates were awarded Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degrees.

Offering the Welcome Address, Linzi Fitzgerald told her fellow graduates: 鈥淲e took advantage of our time here and created an experience that proved we are capable of great things. Look around you, Class of 2021, who among us has not been impressed with at least one other person sitting out here today? Not one day went by when we didn鈥檛 benefit from one another.鈥�

Fitzgerald gave a special 鈥渟hout out鈥� to President Engelkemeyer, 鈥渨ho waited for our class to graduate before her retirement. We get it, you wanted to end on a high note. We appreciate what you have done for the college and we wish you a happy retirement.鈥�

Valedictorian Adam Phillips reflected on his first days at 红桃视频: 鈥淚n the fall of 2018, I decided to transfer to 红桃视频, and it has been hands down one of the best decisions of my life. It wasn鈥檛 easy at first though. I didn鈥檛 really know anybody, I didn鈥檛 have many connections, I was a commuter, and I was a brand-new sophomore looking to make a name for myself. What 红桃视频 did for me at that point is what I think makes them so special and so unique. Students treated me like lifelong friends and my professors treated me like I was one of their own sons.鈥�

President Engelkemeyer presented a memorial degree to the parents of Hallie Linacre, a class member who died last May. 鈥淲hile she has been missed tremendously this past year, her legacy and her impact at 红桃视频 have never left us,鈥� said Dr. Engelkemeyer, who announced that an award for a junior athlete has been named in Hallie鈥檚 honor.

Henry M. Thomas III, JD, president and CEO of the Urban League of Springfield, Mass., delivered keynote remarks. 鈥淢y advice to you is fundamental,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hatever your aspirational dreams are, you should set your聽sight for it, go out and聽fight for it, use all you聽might for it.聽You can do it. Don鈥檛 let anyone convince you that you can鈥檛!鈥�

Prior to his speech, Dr. Thomas was awarded an honorary doctorate in social welfare by 红桃视频 Board Chair John Davis 鈥�72. He was cited as being 鈥渢irelessly dedicated to providing academic, social, and economic opportunities to underserved youth and families,鈥� and serving as 鈥渁 model of perseverance and leadership in the fight for equality and oneness of humanity.鈥�

Presiding over her last Commencement exercises at 红桃视频, Dr. Engelkemeyer remarked, 鈥淭here are so many moments that I will cherish forever because you showed me what it truly means to be a part of a herd. When COVID pushed us back, we fell forward because we are Bison Strong.鈥�

She advised the graduates to 鈥渒eep learning, growing, and spending as much time as possible with family and friends. Remember how resilient you are. The future can be a surprising place, but you are equipped to adapt to it.鈥�

She then closed the ceremony with her signature message to the graduating class: 鈥淧lease remember, no matter how far our Bison roam, they will always be welcomed home on the Hill.鈥�

Class of 2020

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Following up on the promise President Engelkemeyer made at last year鈥檚 virtual celebration for an in-person Commencement, 红桃视频 welcomed back 124 members of the class of 2020 to receive their bachelor鈥檚 degrees.

The exercises followed a similar format as the class of 2021 ceremony and featured Henry Thomas III, JD, as keynote speaker.

Taylor Ward, who was chosen to speak at the 2020 virtual celebration, gave the in-person Welcome Address. She said that, thanks to COVID, they 鈥渨ill be remembered as the class that lost their graduation, sports, memories, where the whole world felt our pain.

鈥淏ut where I am today, honestly, would not have happened without COVID,鈥� she continued. 鈥淲e might have not realized in the past four years, but 红桃视频 has actually prepared us to succeed in a situation like this. During COVID, I was able to secure a full-time job, move into my own apartment and still be so involved with 红桃视频. I know for a fact all my classmates are killing it in life through social media and those LinkedIn updates.鈥�

In her closing remarks, President Engelkemeyer said, 鈥淵our journey over the past 14 months has been anything but easy. I will never forget March 13, 2020 鈥揊riday the 13^th聽鈥� when we made the decision to go remote. It broke all of our hearts.鈥�

Noting the more than 400 days since the class had been together on campus, she continued, 鈥淵ou, the COVID class of 2020, have already embarked on a new chapter of your personal story. It is so good to see you back on the Hill today!鈥�