Penn State Behrend celebrated the Class of 2021 with two in-person, outdoor commencement ceremonies at the college's soccer stadium.
Penn State Behrend awarded 669 undergraduate and graduate degrees at two outdoor ceremonies on Saturday, May 8. The ceremonies were held at the Behrend soccer stadium, with COVID safety protocols in place for the duration of each program.
The graduates also were honored during Penn State’s virtual commencement program. A recording of that program can be viewed at https://virtual.commencement.psu.edu/.
At Behrend, in chairs spaced six feet apart, the graduates heard from Chancellor Ralph Ford, who discussed the unique circumstances of this academic year and the perseverance of the Class of 2021.
“You should never doubt that you are prepared for whatever comes next in your careers,” he said. “You persevered through a pandemic. You are ready to be the leaders of tomorrow – the ones who will help us move past this pandemic, to solve today’s challenges and those to come. You will be the ones to build a brighter future.”
The college’s faculty was represented by Courtney Nagle, associate professor of mathematics education and chair of the secondary education in mathematics program. She found 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. A hallmark of a successful person is that they persist in the face of obstacles, and often, these obstacles are blessings in disguise.”
The 2021 graduates were led onto the field by student marshals – the students with the highest cumulative grade-point average in each school. This year’s marshals were:
- Katherine Rose Braund, of Bemus Point, New York, who represented the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. She earned a degree in psychology.
- Kristie Ferrick, of McKean, who represented the Black School of Business. She earned a degree in accounting.
- John LaRoche, of Union City, who represented the School of Engineering. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering technology.
- Joshua Slayton, of Venango, who represented the School of Science. He earned a degree in mathematics.
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.
Robb Frederick
Assistant director, news and information, Penn State Behrend
