Celebrating the Class of 2021 at Mid-Year Commencement

December 06, 2021
VINCENNES, Ind. - Exuberant 日韩中文字幕福利片 graduates, wearing masks, gowns, and mortarboards, marched into the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 4, as notes of 鈥淧omp and Circumstance鈥 filled the auditorium.
VU hosted two Mid-Year Commencement ceremonies to honor the Class of 2021 and recognize graduates' success and achievements. The ceremonies were the University鈥檚 first in-person Commencement celebrations since December 2019, prior to the global pandemic.
It was an incredibly special day as graduates enjoyed a beloved rite of passage with VU faculty and staff, peers, families, friends, and loved ones. As the names of graduates were called to accept their degrees, they walked across a stage ringed with red and white poinsettias, lined with ceremonial banners, and surrounded by VU administrators, trustees, faculty, and staff in graduation regalia.
The University conferred 648 bachelor鈥檚 and associate degrees in addition to certificates. The graduates are from 63 of Indiana鈥檚 92 counties, 32 states, and three countries.
They represented all VU sites, including VU Jasper, Gibson County Center, American Sign Language in Indianapolis, Indianapolis Aviation Technology Center, Distance Education, and Military Education.
VU Provost, Vice President of Instructional Services, and Dean of Faculty Dr. Laura Treanor presided over the Commencement exercises.
VU President Dr. Chuck Johnson addressed graduates and offered words of wisdom to inspire them as they embark upon new beginnings. He emphasized five hopeful words: read, listen, think, act, and reflect. He urged graduates to challenge what they read, to have a willingness to listen, to engage with people in thoughtful and honest dialogue, and to think about both long-term and short-term implications. He encouraged them to trust their judgment and to reflect on their experiences to be a better person, a better parent, a better boss, a better employee, a better entrepreneur, or more.
鈥淚f you do those five things, read, listen, think, act, and reflect, and it is a cycle...it is a cycle that will help you get through life and maybe some of the challenges you鈥檙e going to face as you go through life,鈥 Johnson said.
The ceremonies also featured a pair of student speakers: Parker Timberman of Brazil, Indiana, and Olivia Lankford of Vincennes. Timberman, who is transferring to Indiana University, spoke during the first ceremony and received an Associate of Science in General Studies. Lankford received an Associate of Science in Public Relations and Communication and will continue her educational journey at the University of Southern Indiana.
Lankford pointed to the many successes and experiences of the Class of 2021. She also happily shared memories of the many extracurricular campus activities that have been part of her VU journey and praised the support she received from the VU faculty.
"While I was growing up, I listened to my mom talk about her friends and the memories she made at VU," Lankford told her fellow graduates. 鈥淭he relationships that we have created with classmates, friends, professors, and anyone else have made us who we are today. Now I fully understand what my mom meant because I have now experienced it myself. My time at 日韩中文字幕福利片 has truly been one of the best times of my life.鈥
During his speech, Timberman reflected on the Class of 2021鈥檚 past experiences and looked to the future.
鈥淲e will grow and change, but the memories will remain,鈥 Timberman said. 鈥淪o wherever you go and whatever we do, always remember what we have learned here. Let it be a reminder that we can overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal we put our minds to.鈥
Watch the 2021 Mid-Year Commencement Exercises on .
Ceremony 1
Ceremony 2
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