Penn State Behrend awarded 669 degrees at two in-person, outdoor commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 8.
COVID safety protocols were in place at both ceremonies for Penn State Behrend's 2021 graduates. Facemasks were required, and graduates -- and their families-- were seated in chairs six feet apart.
Penn State Behrend's spring commencement ceremonies were held at Behrend's soccer stadium. Graduates of the Black School of Business and the School of Science were honored at 10 a.m.; graduates of the School of Engineering and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences were honored at 3 p.m.
Graduates of the School of Engineering wore custom facemasks at Penn State Behrend's spring 2021 commencement. They were honored during the day's second program, which began at 3 p.m.
“You should never doubt that you are prepared for whatever comes next in your careers,” Chancellor Ralph Ford told Penn State Behrend's 2021 graduates. “You persevered through a pandemic. You are ready to be the leaders of tomorrow."
In her commencement address, Courtney Nagle, associate professor of mathematics education, told Penn State Behrend's 2021 graduates to look for inspiration in the messiness of the last year. “You showed you could persist, reflect, adapt and grow to find success, even amid the mess,” she said. “You have grown and learned in ways that you never anticipated.”
Penn State Behrend's 2021 graduates join one of the largest alumni associations in the world. The Penn State Alumni Association has nearly 175,000 active members.
