Hundreds of students graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University this spring 2020 semester. The University's 130th annual Commencement Exercises occurred via YouTube on May 19 amid the COVID-19 pandemic on the same day the University had planned to hold its graduation ceremony at Hartford's XL Center.
Among the graduates are:
Rachel Greening of New Fairfield, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work.
Sarah Martinson of New Fairfield, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Emily Worman of New Fairfield, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
The Class of 2020 was addressed via YouTube by Commencement speaker Mark Boxer, former executive vice president and chief information officer of Cigna. Boxer joined Eastern President Elsa Nunez and other university officials as well as Senior Class Vice President Emily Kerfoot on the same day the University had originally planned to hold its graduation ceremony at Hartford's XL Center.
Boxer extolled the value of higher education, recounting his own journey and telling the graduates, "The knowledge you gained here at Eastern is the fuel that will propel you to make a truly meaningful impact."
Calling his college education "the right choice," Boxer said, "It became the springboard for everything good in my life - personally and professionally." He urged the graduates to continue their quest for knowledge, noting that he had continued learning in some educational setting each year since he first graduated from college more than three decades ago.
In her charge to the graduates, President Nunez said, "Since you arrived four years ago for summer orientation, the faculty and I have been telling you that the liberal arts skills you learn at Eastern will serve you well throughout your careers and your personal lives."
She cited critical thinking, professional communications, ethics, collaboration as competencies highly sought by U.S. employers. "Those same skills are critically needed today as we seek to get beyond COVID-19. I know each of you has the skills and the courage to find your place in this new world, where you will keep your head on your shoulders, keep your chin up, and make a unique contribution to society . . . Go forth now with confidence, compassion, and commitment. Come back and visit us when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, let us know if we can help you in any way. God Speed!"
Senior Class Vice President Kerfoot gave President Nunez the class gift, a check to establish a scholarship in the name of the Class of 2020. Kerfoot told her classmates, "As you sit with your family at home, watching this commencement, tell yourself you did it. You made it. Through all the challenges you have faced, you can be proud to be an Eastern alumnus. Be proud that you will go on in life knowing that you are going to accomplish such amazing things.
More than 40 percent of the Class of 2020 are the first in their families to earn a bachelor's degree. Approximately 90 percent of Eastern students are from 162 of the state's 169 towns, with more than 80 percent of graduates staying in Connecticut to launch their careers, contribute to their communities and raise their families. The University also draws students from 34 other states and 19 countries.
This year's event was videotaped in Eastern's otherwise empty Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Instructional Center, with each speaker taping their remarks separately in keeping with safety guidelines. Even as a virtual event, the graduation ceremony maintained an atmosphere of grace and dignity, with the stage a replica of the one used at the XL Center and "Pomp and Circumstance" and "America the Beautiful" played during the proceedings. At the end of the formal program, graduates watched as their names scrolled on the screen, sharing the celebration safely at home with their families.
Prior to Commencement, the university sent each graduate their diploma cover, two copies of the evening's program, and their mortarboard and tassel to make their family's festivities more complete.
Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving 5,000 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 162 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 34 other states and 19 countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 30 public universities in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2019 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded "Green Campus" status by the Princeton Review 10 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.