presentation of graduates 2021

The Presentation of Graduates by Shobita Parthasarathy: 2021 Ford School Commencement

Watch the Presentation of Graduates by Ford School professor Shobita Parthasarathy. May, 2021.

Transcript:

And now the moment you've all been waiting for the presentation of the Class of 2021.

I'm pleased to introduce my colleague Professor Shobita Parthasarathy, who when she's not

testifying before congress is writing and teaching about ethics, equity, science and

technology.

And she's going to read the names of our 2021 graduates.

Shobita, take it away.

Thanks, Luke.

Good afternoon everyone, to begin I'll call graduates earning doctoral degrees: Chiara

Ferrero is receiving a doctor of philosophy in public policy and economics.

She'd like to thank her dissertation chair Jim Hines and her committee Yusuf Neggers,

Joel Slemrod, and Ashley Craig.

Her dissertation title is "essays in public finance and political economy."

Michael Lerner is receiving a doctor of philosophy in public policy and political science.

He would like to thank his dissertation chair Chuck Shipan, and Barry Rabe.

The title of his dissertation is "does transnational advocacy catalyze environmental policy leadership?"

And finally Stephanie Owen is receiving a doctor of philosophy in public policy and

Her dissertation chair is Sue Dynarski and the title of her dissertation is "essays in

the economics of education."

And now we'll celebrate our graduates receiving a master's degree in public affairs:

Dominic Arellano Ethan David Baker

Anna Balzer Karli Boulware

Anne Coglianese Tom Cruz

Lindsey Dowswell Stephanie Iovan

Hailey Jures Raymond A. Kahn

Jamie Lyons-Eddy Christopher Bryan McClain

Rebekah Ostosh Julia Rhodes

Anuj . M. Sahay William Scott Selesky

Lamiya Sharafkhanova JoMeca L. Thomas

and William Whelan.

Next we'll recognize our graduates receiving a master's degree in public policy:

Rebecca Ackerman Ruqayya Ahmad

Mallak Ali Anani Monika Anderson

Jonathan Ashken Leonymae Aumentado

Capri Backus Maggie Barnard

Aditya Benyamin Ali M. Berri

Sheron Brown Chris Campbell

Linnea Carver Cristian Casanova Velarde

Sidi Cheng Alison Christiansen

Samuel Thomas Conchuratt Rebecca Copeland

oSha Cowley-Shireman Kellen Datta

Carolina Dominguez Chadd Dowding

Jerome Durden II Nishat Farzana

Kevin Finnegan Yanjing Fu

Ameya Ganpule Steven S. Garcia

Eli Gold Sarah Gruen

Shiyu Guo Sophia Hart

Wendy Hawkins Baltazar Hernandez

Samuel Ainsworth Hird Sungwook Huh

Kseniya Husak Kyle Douglas Jarrett

Jaclyn Kahn Maxwell Kaufman

Emma Kern Jaeyeon Kim

Sunhong Kim Heather Kiningham

Andrew Krantz Jocelyn Kuo

Christopher LeFlore Barton Linderman

Tory Lowy Dedrick McCord

Safiya Merchant Erik Muliawan

Landon Myers Iqra Nasir

Kevin Naud Meghan Schroeder O'Leary

Nathaniel Ojo Akinloluwa Olumoroti

Tanya Omolo Guy Packard

Sharanya Pai Edwin Peart

Lauren Alexandra Peisach Sacha-Rose Phillips

Avril Erika Prakash Karolina Ana Ramos

Victor Ochieng Rateng Christen Jade Richardson

Sarah Richardson Mathew Rigdon

Jonathan J. Rodriguez Danny Rosa

Hannah E Rosenfeld Julie Rubin

Orlando Sanchez Zavala Mariatu Funna Santiago

Mariam Sayeed Matt Sehrsweeney

Alex Serwer Rizki Oddie Putro Sitompul

Marianna Smith Thomas Staines

Kai Su Eleanor M Sullivan

YaYa Sun Nida Syed

Jessica Taketa Kalena Thomhave

Sarah Tresedder Sarah Truax

Amy C. Turner Mai Ze Vang

James VanSteel Connor Wakayama

Alex Weaver Michael Hans Weiss

Kelly Wilcox Annalisa Wilder

Wanzhuo Yang Triana Yentzen Toro

Mohammad Akbar Zadran and Jingwen Zhang.

And finally we will celebrate the students receiving a bachelor of arts in public policy:

Bahaa Abazeed Leah Adelman

Camryn L. Banks Hilal Bazzi

Mariana Boully Perez Bennett Bramson

Mary Bryce Brannen Anthony Bui

Sabrina Butcher Connor Cain

David Carpenter Damian Chessare

Miriam Chung Julia Cohn

Sheridan Jayne Cole Meredith Winston Days

Samantha Della Fera Brady Diller

Lena Dreves Jack Eichner

Jackie Erlon-Baurjan Riston Escher

Cydney Gardner-Brown Molly Garyantes

Abigail Elizabeth Gawthrop Benjamin Gerstein

Leah Graham Maximillian Grahl

Erin Crawford Grant Arushi Gupta

Grace Hermann Nora Kate Hilgart-Griff

Dylan Horwitz Jonah Dylan Jacobs

Simone Jaroslaw Molly Edersheim Kalb

Amanda Kaplan Grace Kent

Daniel Kim Daphne Kreiger

Alex Kremer Marita Ky

Tal Lipkin Caroline Logue

Lucía López Olaiz Michael Elliot Lovegrove

Matthew MacPhail Camille Liliana Mancuso

Kelli Martin Julia Esther Mati

Kerrigan McCabe Madeline Theresa McLaughlin

Aaron Mei Magdalena Mihaylova

Katherine T. Miner Jason Moonka

Karuna Nandkumar Bennett Neuhoff

Summer O’Sullivan Devan O'Toole

Michael Antonio Ocasio Eric Payerle

Angelica Priest Allison Marie Pujol

Connor William Uan Reese Aleksandra Rzadkosz

Sarah Sarnak Julia Scavnicky

Julia Siegle Nicholas Silk

Maeve Anne Skelly Lauren Michelle Solomiany

Trevor Phillip Stratz Zayna Syed

Eliza Sykes Martin Taxay

Mikaela Uddfolk Claire Vapnek

Jacob Viviano Matthew Weiner

Ryan Woock and Brett Daniel Zaslavsky.

BA graduates, at this time please move the tassel on your mortar board from the right

to the left.

And now I'm so, so proud to present to you the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy's

Class of 2021.

• Class of 2021
• Commencement
• Shobita Parthasarathy

Commencement 2021

• Harvard Business School →
• Commencement 2021 →

Commemorating the Harvard Business School Class of 2021 Graduation

• 27 May 2021
• Harvard Business School

Videos  

2021 Class Day Student Speaker Sara McLoughlin Figel

2021 Class Day Distinguished Speaker

2021 Class Day Student Association Co-President Annie Plachta

2021 Class Day Student Association Co-President Caleb Bradford

Dean Srikant Datar’s 2021 Graduation Address and Presentation of Alumni Achievement Awards

Celebrating MBA and Doctoral Class of 2021

The Story Behind the Baker Scholars

Getting to Know Class Day Student Speaker Sara McLoughlin Figel

May 27 schedule  , mba class of 2021 profiles  .

Abena Nyantekyi-Owusu

Brice Fodouop

Bobby Tuohy

Camille McGirt

Haley Brown

Janina Motter

Keta Burke-Williams

Kam Phillips-Sadler

Karina Rodriguez

Laura Sandoval

Mae Abdelrahman

Michi Ferreol

Mark Giragosian

Miriam Serban

Nick Rosenbaum

Peter Gumulia

Phillip Jones

Ryan Flamerich

Soltan Bryce

Shani Carter

Sylvester Wee

Thomaz Galvao

Tory Voight

Viroopa Volla

Whitney Wilson

Yaoxin Ding

Zoe Otedola

Awards  , 2021 doctoral graduates.

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Citadel cadet honored as Newman Civic Fellow

The citadel announces faculty promotions and awards, the citadel graduate college honors achievements of remarkable students and faculty, awards presented to top cadets during 2024 commencement ceremony at the citadel, the citadel class of 2024 cadets sworn in as officers in the united states armed forces, outstanding cadets and active duty students honored at the citadel’s 2024 awards convocation.

• Return to www.citadel.edu
• For the Media

All about The Citadel Graduate College Class of 2021

We celebrate the achievements of our extraordinary graduates of the Class of 2021. They stand strong sharing the common bonds of honor, duty and respect – the Core Values of a Citadel graduate. Sally Selden, Ph.D., SMP The Citadel Provost and Dean of the College May 9, 2021

The Citadel Graduate College Class of 2021 celebrated commencement in McAlister Field House on campus during two ceremonies on May 9. More than 230 undergraduate transfer and graduate students participated in the spring commencement events.

The Citadel Graduate College kicked off commencement with an awards event. Students and faculty were celebrated for exceptional achievements on Thursday, May 6, with the following individuals being recognized:

Faculty Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Graduate College Dr. Kevin Skenes

Graduate Student Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership Addison Dame College Transfer Program Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership Catherine Brooks The Veteran Student Success Center Award for Academic Excellence in Leadership Ashley Towers

Hirshey Awards Glenda Levine Molly O’Reilly Stephanie Fye Elizabeth Ceccoli Ferhana Shah Aline Mahan Award Department of Psychology, Ed.S., Class of 2021

J. Patrick Leverett Award Shawnte Posley Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Leadership Studies Aliènne AJ Salleroli

Lindbergh Awards Brianna C. Rice Parker L. Bass MBA Faculty Member of the Year Dr. Jeremy Bennett

MBA Student of the Year Timothy Jones Business College Transfer Program Faculty of the Year Theresa Strong

Business College Transfer Program Student of the Year Steven Turano P. Michael Politanto Graduate Research Award Nathan Adams

Citadel Graduate College legacy students

The cherished tradition of legacy diploma presentations continued in 2021. There were eleven Citadel Graduate College graduates who were joined on stage by a grandparent, parent or a child who were alumni of The Citadel.

The special presenters included:

Dr. Mark A Bebensee, Honorary Member, ’83 Catherine Diane DeMers, ’04 Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Wegner Dyson Sr., USA (Ret.), ’69 James Steven Gaskins, ’05 Kimberly Joseph, ’12 Andres Eduardo Lorduy, ’18 EOD3 Nicholas J. McKenna, USN, ’17 Daniel J. “Jim” Rieker, ’99 Major J. Stephen Veyera, USA, (Ret.), ’13 William “Bill” Lewis Yaeger Jr., ’83

Norman Seabrooks, ’73, presented with honorary degree; provides commencement speech on resilience

Norman Seabrooks graduated as a member of The South Carolina Corps of Cadets in 1973, eventually becoming a market president for the Fortune 500 company, Aetna.

During his time as a cadet, Seabrooks was a three-year starter at defensive tackle for the Bulldogs and the first African American co-captain of the football team.

Seabrooks was presented with an honorary degree from The Citadel, just prior to addressing the graduates.

For his legacy of ethical leadership, sportsmanship, and service to his community, The Citadel Board of Visitors is proud to award Norman Seabrooks the honorary Doctor of Leadership and Ethics in Commerce degree. Gen. Glenn M. Walters, The Citadel President May 9, 2020

Seabrooks shared some of his life story , including successes and failures, and provided sage guidance on building and sustaining a successful career and life.

Watch Norman Seabrook’s commencement speech below.

Congratulations to all of The Citadel Graduate College Class of 2021 graduates

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice John Daniel Del Barrio Sara Nicole Parris

Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies Kenneth Powell Harwood Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Michael Carey Shirey Willis Charles Smith Darius Denzel Warren Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Katelyn Marie Arnold Tommy Barfield Baker Alan Leroy Barker Jr. Jonathan Paul Boxx David Franklin Braun Jr. Carla Lynn Bryan Jennifer Lynne Byrd Michael James Fewell Margaret Chandler Fowler Olivia Bailey LaRoche Jessica Ann Simmons Brandon Allen Welch

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Joseph Peter Arnold Bryan Robert Bocock Matthew Bolick Jose Victor Contreras Joshua Thomas Leming Colby Alexander Poplin Brianna Cheree Rice Jonathan Andrew-McCarty Strobel

Bachelor of science in Construction Engineering Parker Lee Bass

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Brittney Marie Deckard Joseph Raymond Demelis Travis Tremaine Eldell Michael Ryan Greco Emma Rae Bevins Hefner Andrew Jacob Hinson Matthew Shawn Mullinax II Tyrone Malik Richardson Tanco Eric Edward Smalls Matthew James Stallings Kenwell Richard Stoll Jr. Lily Ann Wald

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Taylor Blanton Steven Buckwalter Stephen Jack Channell Christopher Durphey Clifton Luis Humberto Garcia Cameron Thaddeus Jordan Leinyuy Veradzem Laisin Daniel James Ludwigsen Denny Lamar Middleton Benjamin Thomas Perry Grant Sullivan Ritter Stephen Sanada Inez Gisela Shapiro Sara Ann Chester Surrett

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Melissa Anne Bell Drexyl Blair Vivian Marie Delgado Ariel Domke Jacqueline Shealy Gorrin Courtney Huskey Leah Ann Kibler CheVonne Whitley Lindsey Courtney Marsh Addie Elizabeth McCracken Allyson Suzanne McRae Logan Ivy Nelson Meghan Elizabeth Nyers Kali Elizabeth Potes Abby Rovick Claire Seabrook Catherine Brooks Sexton Kathleen Durst Talbert Hugh Davis Von Meding

Master of Arts in Biology Elena Ann Burgess Rian Derek Burris Claudia Berry Sams Marian Cristina Smith

Master of Arts in English Olivia Anne Guillet

Master of Arts in History Anthony John Kniffin Jr. Betty Sterling Sadler

Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies Craig Randall DuBose Sarah Ann Fink Cole Edward Huffman Megan Elizabeth Kasprzak John Christian Lines Corey Alexander Neal

Master of Arts in International Political Science and Military Affairs Brett Alastair Honeycutt Cornelius Peeler Anna Eloise Sandgren Timothy Richard Vrastil

Master of Arts in Military History Betty Sterling Sadler Martin Gregory Valles

Master of Arts in Sport Management Bradley Tejohn Frasier Master of Arts in Psychology Ricco Gabriel Ashley Nicole Harris David Edward Johnsen Clyde Talmadge Padgett Kahn Emilio Jose Lopez-Powers Kelsey Lynn Mazzocco Gabrielle Mooneyham Lesley Pena Emily Dawn Sizemore Virginia Blake Stallings Caroline Beth Whitlock

Master of Arts in Social Science Eramis Nicole Gethers

Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education Biology Katherine Lee Dumont Connor Elexander Macko

Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education Social Studies Katherine Lee Dumont William Alexander Kay Jessie Elana Mintz Ferhana Shah

Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education English Elizabeth Grey Thomas Master of Business Administration Arne Albin Anderson Katrina Elaine Billie John Alexander Castleberry Jonathan Chang Christian Edward Cochran Alexander Stephen Cosper Bradley Diggins Costello Kenneth Tyler Denison Gregory Wegner Dyson Jr. Zari Ebadeh Ahvazi David Haynie Fant Jr. John Alfred Fludd Jr. Marion Terrell Foxworth Jr. Ryan Farrell Graham Daniel Jonathan Harrison Nicholas Dillon Heffner Hayden Gordon Hollinger Stephen Matthew Holton Samantha Mary Kolpak Jin Ju Lee Kelly Diane Linderman Adriana Belen Lorduy Seth William Malek Katherine Anne Malloy Michelle Love McDonald Christopher George Melonas Christine Anne Miller Latoya Montgomery Brandon James Mulier Kavin Samy Panneerselvam Coleman James Parler William Bradley Pond Jon-Paul McKinnon Ramsing Elizabeth Devoll Rogers Trevor Raymond Speelman James R. Thompson Jennifer Anne Veyera Sean Ward Brandon Matthew Watt Benjamin Eugene Womick Quintin Fitzgerald Wright Jr. Lauraie Ann Zealy

Master of Education in Counselor Education Elizabeth Ann Bassetti Lorraine Marie Bebensee Laurel Clark Addison Dame Caitlin Elizabeth DeMers Vanessa Yvonne Kopp Kileigh Michelle O’Brien Molly O’Reilly Elsie Cassandra Schloegl Kimberly Nettles Sfreddo Nicole Gabrielle Snow Patricia Szczygiel

Master of Education in Educational Leadership School Administration Kayla Paige Baker

Master of Education in Literacy Education Elizabeth Ceccoli Lauren Elizabeth Roche Katherine Marie Warren

Master of Science in Civil Engineering Jonathan Eric Pinto

Master of Science in Health Exercise Sport Science Ramsha Shams Master of Science in Leadership Carey Dawn Gorden Christopher Micah Peyton Alienne Ashley Jessica Salleroli Albert Wayne Walling Jr. Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering Michael William Scullin Master of Science in Project Management Emily Morgan Peters Matthew Edward Rushing Suzanne Virginia Tully

Specialist in Education in Education Leadership School Superintendent Deitra Lynn Clegg Ashley Dominique Grech Glenda Gibson Levine

• Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Daniel Patrick Ryan
• Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Leadership – Stephanie Anne Fye, Rochelle Roper Johnson, Ryan Jeffrey McGill, Jacob Christopher Pilarski, Wayne Anthony Wright
• Graduate Certificate in Intelligence Analysis – Jeffrey Scott Hoel, Joseph Netzel, Clark Alexander Roberts
• Graduate Certificate in Leadership – Alexis Camille Bradfieldm Charles Robert Forsythe, Carey Dawn Gorden, Zachary Jones, Christopher Micah Peyton, Tara Jane Spencer
• Graduate Certificate in Literacy Education – Elizabeth Ceccoli, Lauren Elizabeth Roche, Katherine Marie Warren
• Graduate Certificate in Sport Management – Bradley Tejohn Frasier
• Graduate Certificate in Student Affairs – Jamie Samantha Cannady, Jessie Colleen Cannon, Andrew Robert Nyser, Joshua Luke Simon
• Graduate Certificate in Technical Project Management – Jonathan MJ Cain, Melissa Delaney Nenninger, Emily Morgan Peters, Matthew Edward Rushing, Suzanne Virginia Tully

Watch a brief recap of The Citadel Class of 2021 commencement ceremonies below.

The Citadel Graduate College students from December 2020

The names of the people from all sections of The Citadel Graduate College who graduated in December 2020 are as follows:

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Graduation 2021: Awards Presentation

May 26, 2021 — Each year, awards are presented to graduating students, faculty, and staff at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Winners were announced at a virtual celebration May 26, 2021.

Dean Michelle Williams also presented the Next Gen Award to Lia Tadesse, minister of health, Ethiopia. This award honors an individual under age 40 whose leadership and commitment to health as a human right inspires all young people to make “health for all” a global priority.

Watch the presentation on-demand here .

Student Awards

Gareth M. Green Award for Excellence in Public Health Practice Fortunate Chifamba Masafumi Funato Penny Sun

Edgar Haber Award in Biological Sciences Margaret Torrence

Robert B. Reed Prize for Excellence in Biostatistical Science Eric Cohn

Dr. Fang-Ching Sun Memorial Award Andrew Chun

James H. Ware Award for Achievement in the Practice of Public Health Wilfredo Matias

Student Recognition Award Sana Farooqui

Teaching Assistant Award Onisha Etkins Tiffany Lemon Obiageli Okafor Kathryn Tomsho Jinyi Zhu

Faculty Awards

The Roger L. Nichols Excellence in Teaching Award John McDonough, professor of public health practice

Teaching Citations Linda Cyr, lecturer on health management Cyra Perry Dougherty, instructor in the Office of Educational Programs Fawn Phelps, instructor and director of leadership development Ameet Sarpatwari, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management Aisha Yousafzai, associate professor of global health

Mentoring Awards Jarvis Chen, lecturer in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Peter James, assistant professor of population medicine Rebekka Lee, research scientist in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Executive and Continuing Professional Excellence in Teaching  Award Karen Curley, instructor in the Division of Policy Translation and Leadership Development

Staff Awards

The Sarah K. Wood Award for Outstanding Staff Performance Eric DiGiovanni, assistant director of graduate studies, Department of Epidemiology

Staff Recognition Award Lilu Barbosa, chief diversity, inclusion, and belonging officer Eric Creighton, program coordinator, Biological Sciences in Public Health

Community Engagement Award Danny Beaudoin, director of planning and facilities Jocelyn Chu, assistant director of DrPH field practice

• International

Biden graduation speech

Israel's war in Gaza

Graduation 2021: Honoring this year's graduates

By Maureen Chowdhury, Mike Hayes and Meg Wagner , CNN

Vice President Harris: You have the "strength to get through anything"

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated the class of 2021 in her keynote address.

Harris commended graduates for getting through a difficult year and reminded them that their resilience means that they have "strength to get through anything."

'You know exactly what it took to get here. Right in the middle of your junior year, everything seemed to stopped. Prom was canceled, sports were canceled, school plays were canceled and you were separated from your friends and your support network, For more than a year you kept going to class, even if it was online. You kept studying, you kept striving, and you made it to this day," Harris said.

She continued:

"And there are two things I would like you to remember. One, you now know that you have what it takes to get through pretty much anything. So, when you come up against an obstacle and when you experience a setback — and you will, we all do — remember the resilience that you showed this past year, the determination. Remember you have the strength to get through anything. Two, you do not have to get through anything alone. You are not alone. We are all in this together. When we look out for one another, everybody is better off," Harris said.

Harris says young people "will help determine what our world will look like on the other side" of the pandemic

Vice President Kamala Harris told graduates that she believes young people "will help determine what our world will look like on the other side" of the pandemic.

Harris told students "you are not the first to shoulder this responsibility."

"Throughout our nation's history, students and young people have helped shape that industry and that history," she said.

She continued: "We need you. We need you to be as kind as you are courageous. We need you to be as ambitious as you are curious. We need you to dream, and we need you to do." 

Vice President Harris congratulates graduates: "You give me such inspiration"

Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated the class of 2021, as she spoke to several high school seniors via video conference.

"I couldn't be more proud of you guys," she told the seniors. "The things that you all have accomplished, you give me such inspiration."

She went on to share some advice that her mother gave her.

"She said, 'You know Kamala, you may be the first to be many things, but make sure you're not the last,'" Harris told the seniors.

"Sometimes you're going to be in a room, and you're going to feel like the only one like you in that room, the only one that looks like you or the only one whose had your life experience but what I want you four to remember — and you have to hear me on this — we will all be in that room with you, so don't you ever feel alone. We are all in that room with you, applauding you on."

"Go forth and lead," she told the class of 2021.

Watch the moment:

Meet Oakland Technical High School's first Black male valedictorian

Ahmed Muhammad will be Oakland Technical High School's first Black male valedictorian when he graduates this year.

The Stanford University-bound senior started Kits Cubed, a nonprofit designed to "introduce youth to the wonders of science through fun, affordable and accessible means," he said.

Ahmed said the nonprofit has distributed thousands of science kits across the country.

"I was able to create something that's bigger than me," he said.

This tech-loving senior built a robotic therapy device for a fellow student

Aditya Bora found his silver lining while attending school remotely.

The tech-loving, student-athlete leads the robotics team at Johns Creek High School and has spent the last four years using his skills to help others.

Some of his creations include a pair of self-tying shoes and a robotic therapy device, which he built for a student to help him control a motorized wheelchair.

"I always enjoyed building things and exploring things in my free time," the high school senior said.

This high school senior beat cancer and became valedictorian

Holly High School senior Kristen Tefertiller was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2019 and spent eight months in the hospital.

"I wore masks before they were cool," she said. "I washed my hands way more than the average person, and I kept everything clean."

As she battled cancer, Kristen set her eyes on her goals: becoming her high school's valedictorian.

"When I got the news that I was valedictorian, it was like a giant weight lifted off of me," she said.

"When I was in the hospital, my doctor said, 'You don't have to be No. 1 in your class. You're going through too much,' and I looked at him and I said, 'Watch me,'" she added.

Kristen is now cancer free. She celebrated by going skydiving.

"If I can beat cancer, I can go skydiving," she told CNN.

This 2021 grad is the No. 1 women's high school basketball recruit in the nation

Azzi Fudd, a senior from St. John's College High School, is not only her school's student body vice president, she's also the No. 1 women's high school basketball recruit in the nation.

She told CNN the most memorable day this school year was her birthday, which was also the day she signed on to play at the University of Connecticut.

Though the school year was challenging, Fudd remained positive.

"Looking back, I am grateful that I got all this extra time with my family," she said. "I felt like I have really gotten a great relationship with my brothers over this past year and a half and I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Dwyane Wade: "Your belief is stronger than any one doubt"

Former NBA basketball and all-star Dwyane Wade congratulated graduates for making it through a tough year and said that he's excited about their future.

"Throughout this pandemic it has been tough for our entire world. And for you guys to persevere and to be here on this day, on graduation, it's an amazing feat. And so, I am excited about the future. You guys have been a future of this world. I'm excited about our future leaders, and just understand that your belief is stronger than any one doubt, and so continue to keep going, continue to keep striving, be amazing and congratulations," Wade said.

Russell Wilson tells 2021 graduates to "commit to your vision"

NFL quarterback Russell Wilson told 2021 graduates that now they have a chance to "commit to your vision."

"To me, see, vision isn't about what you plan to do or what you hope to do. Vision is about what you're called to do. When you're living with vision, you're not just being successful, you're achieving exactly what you were put on this Earth to achieve," he said.  

He said that to "live with vision" you have to have discipline, be resilient and have faith.

"Don't just think about the life you'll lead, think about the lives you'll change. Class of 2021, what's your vision?" Wilson said. 

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EPS grad student wins Best Overall Presentation at the 2021 Graduate Research Symposium

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This April, the Division of Graduate Studies held its 17th annual Graduate Student Research Symposium, an event to highlight the impressive research that graduate students are conducting across campus. In past years, the event has been held in McHenry Library and consisted of live presentations with or without slides and other visual accompaniments. This year, to accommodate for Covid health restrictions, the 33 graduate student participants submitted video presentations that were then posted to the Division of Graduate Studies YouTube channel for viewers and judges to watch on their own time. On April 23, Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the Division of Graduate Studies Quentin Williams announced the winners during a live Zoom event.

Colleen Murphy, a graduate student in Earth and Planetary Sciences, won the grand prize of $1000 for her video, “Sluggish Slides: Why Some Landslides Never Pick Up the Pace.” Another Science Division student, Lourdes “Lulu” Martinez Estevez, won “Best of the Physical and Biological Sciences Division” for her presentation, “Spatial ecology of hawksbill sea turtles in the Gulf of California.”

An announcement of all symposium winners, along with links to their presentations, can be found on the Division of Graduate Studies website .

APUS to Celebrate Over 16,000 Graduates at Commencement on May 10-11

Class of 2024 graduates and award winners will be honored at two-day ceremony in national harbor, md..

Charles Town, WV—May 8, 2024  –  American Public University System (APUS), which offers online degree and certificate programs through  American Military University  (AMU) and  American Public University  (APU), will celebrate over 16,000 graduates from all 50 states and several countries at its 28th annual commencement on May 10-11. The ceremonies  will be live streamed here  for those who cannot attend the in-person event at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, Md.

The Class of 2024 is one of APUS’s largest-ever graduating classes. It includes approximately 4,100 students receiving master’s degrees, 8,800 students receiving bachelor’s degrees, and 3,600 students receiving associate degrees.

“The world is changing, and you will be the ones driving some of these changes,” states APUS President Nuno Fernandes in his prepared keynote remarks. “My message to you is to never stop learning, stay hungry, embrace change, innovation, and critical thinking. Always try to use your incredible talent to positively impact your communities. And, while doing all of this, always try to have fun and choose a career path that fulfills you. In the famous words of Steve Jobs, ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish’”. 

“As you reflect on the milestone of completing your degree, I cannot help but observe that your resilience has been remarkable,” said Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, Provost, APUS. “Take pride in this moment! You are here thanks to your hard work, perseverance, and dedication to your academic, career and personal goals. I encourage each and every one of you to continue forward in that same spirit.”  

George Linen, the Class of 2024 student speaker for the School of Arts, Humanities, & Education; Health Sciences; and STEM commencement ceremony, notes this year’s graduates are “survivors and thrivers”.

“Everyone has a story, and so many humans were doing their best,” Linen states in his remarks. “Why me? Why not me? Why not you? Why not us? Everything you deserve is on the other side of difficulty and challenge!”

Apiluck “Mann” Kongsomboonvech, the Class of 2024 student speaker for the Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business, challenges classmates, “to unlock the very best version of yourself. Be courageous, and pursue your dreams with relentless determination. In moments of uncertainty, find strength in resilience. Set audacious goals and carve your own unique path.”

John DeStefano, Jr., the Class of 2024 student speaker for the School of Security and Global Studies, expresses tremendous gratitude, pride, and appreciation for supporters of his educational journey. “While knowledge is power, shared knowledge is exponentially more powerful in an ever-expanding globalized society,” he states, while also challenging his classmates. “If we each impart a small amount of knowledge onto others, we can change the world!”

Award Winners

As part of the two-day commencement, APUS will also recognize 45 students, faculty, and alumni who have excelled and positively impacted the APUS community Some of the award winners are:

• Victoria Sengelman (AMU) and Blagoy Anton Pogoncheff (APU), who will be given The Mary Kim Ward Resilience and Service Award which recognizes resilience, patience, and determination, and student impact and influence on public service, social justice, and inclusion.
• Professor Jarrod Sadulski, who will be recognized with the 2023 Dr. Wallace E. Boston Leadership Award , honoring the positive impact he has made in the community.
• Dr. Brian Freeland, Dean of the APUS School of Health Sciences, who will receive the 2023 James P. Etter Creativity and Innovation Award , in recognition of his innovation and creativity as a member of the APUS community.
• Ryan Andersen (AMU), who will be recognized at the undergraduate level, and Rick Moore (AMU), who will be honored at the graduate level, with the 2024 President’s Award , which honors students for their commitment to service, scholastic achievement, outstanding character, and leadership.
• Julia Amoo (AMU), Tyler Bailey (APU), Jeremiah Blum (APU), John DeStefano, Jr. (AMU), Emily Helton (AMU), Suzannah Loehr (AMU), Emma Myers (AMU), Nmachi Okere (AMU), Luis Revilla (AMU), and Taylor Sparber (AMU), who will receive The Academic Scholar Award , which honors students who have engaged in excellent scholarly conduct and accomplishments as students.

About American Public University System American Public University System  (APUS) delivers affordable, high-quality, workforce-relevant higher education. With a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive 33-year history, and over 137,000 alumni from more than 100 countries, APUS is recognized for its innovative approach to online learning 1 . APUS is in the top 11% for students’ return on educational investment, compared to 4,500 colleges and universities nationwide, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2022) 2 .

APUS, which includes American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU), is accredited by the  Higher Learning Commission  (HLC), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. APUS is a wholly owned subsidiary of  American Public Education, Inc.  (Nasdaq: APEI). For more information, visit  www.apus.edu .

1 APUS has been honored with the online Learning Consortium’s Gomory Award for Quality Online Education, and is a five-time recipient of the consortium’s Effective Practice Award  https://www.apus.edu/newsroom/awards/ .

2 Ranking based on 20-year net present value (NPV) https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/roi2022/ .  

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Frank Tutalo Associate Vice President, Public Relations