Graduation 2019
On the morning of Mother’s Day of 2019, we gathered in Trinkle Hall of the Campus Center to proceed with the graduation celebration where the students were awarded their well-deserved baccalaureate degrees. Everyone looked so distinguished in their graduation cap and gown. We handed out 109 degrees, and this year it seemed like a larger number of friends and families were in attendance than usual. It is always nice to have more, rather than less, people to take part in the ceremony since we only get to do this once!! Again this year, Trinkle Hall presented a lovely setting in which to have this occasion; lots of sun light through the windows, with plenty of plants to add green to the setting.
The ceremony began by introducing our faculty members one-by-one. Although the students know who has been working with them both in, and out of the class room, parents usually only hear faculty names from their sons and daughters. So it is nice for the parents and family members to actually see and meet the faculty who have played such a large role in their kids’ lives for the past four years. And truth be told, the faculty enjoy meeting the parents who have done so such an outstanding job in raising such fine young men and women!! And boy, what living proof of the power of genetics!! How often you can pick out a student’s parents and siblings even before you are introduced to them.
After those introductions, we brought forth our co-majors of the year of this graduating class of 2019. Nate Miller and Grace Becker each took the stage and spoke for several minutes about their experiences in the department during their matriculation and what they will bring with them to the next chapter of their lives. No doubt, Nate and Grace have bright futures ahead of them, and we are so fortunate to have been able to have them with us for the past four years. In fact, the same can obviously be said for all of our newly minted graduates. We sure hope we don’t lose touch with them!
After this came the actual awarding of degrees. Although there was a larger, College-wide graduation ceremony the day before (Saturday May 11th) where Glenn Close, the famous actress and alum of William & Mary delivered the commencement speech, only on Sunday were degrees actually awarded and done so at the individual, more personal departmental graduations. After this, students, parents, friends and faculty mingled while eating treats and drinking soft beverages at the Market Place also in the campus Center and just outside of Trinkle. In short, this was an enjoyable and rewarding time for all who were able to join us.
