Saint Michael’s College celebrated its 501 new graduates from the Class of 2020 on Sunday, May 10, during an hour-long prerecorded virtual commencement ceremony. The virtual YouTube event included a live-chat and was joined by several thousand graduates, families, faculty and staff, according to a press release from the Colchester college.
The virtual commencement featured speeches from President Lorraine Sterritt, Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeffrey Trumbower, Dean of Faculty Tara Natarajan, as well as student speakers, alumni and faculty. While the exact size of the class is not yet known, the college conferred roughly 75 master’s degrees and 426 undergraduates, said Trumbower.
A recurring theme from all ceremonial speakers involved the unique challenges and opportunities presented by so singular a shared experience as persevering through a pandemic.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” said Brian Cummings, director of Campus Ministry quoting the day’s Gospel reading during a recorded YouTube Baccalaureate Mass from the College chapel that many watched prior to the virtual commencement. He also called on young people today to “be for the world a second Greatest Generation.”
The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWnxjY6wcfg&feature=youtu.be.
