ECU celebrates fall 2020 graduates with virtual commencement
East Carolina University celebrated the accomplishments of more than 2,000 graduates with its 112th fall commencement on Friday, delivering a virtual ceremony because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions against large, in-person events.
Dr. Ron Mitchelson, ECU’s interim chancellor, noted the historical significance of the university’s first virtual fall commencement.
“I know that there is no substitute for a commencement celebration in person on our beautiful campus,” Mitchelson said. “We recognize that this ceremony is just another example of how COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of our lives. Despite these unusual and challenging times, this is still one of the most important days of your lives, it is still an important day in the life of this university, and it is still a great day to be a Pirate.”
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He noted that graduates should take time to thank family, friends, faculty and mentors who supported them on their journeys toward an ECU degree.
“Know that we have witnessed your potential, we celebrate with you and we believe in you,” said Mitchelson.
SGA President Tucker Robbins (Photos by Cliff Hollis) Download high-resolution image of Tucker Robbins
Tucker Robbins, 2020-21 student body president, said some may look at COVID-19 as a thief that robbed graduates of special experiences, but he said students deserve credit for adapting to unusual circumstances.
“This pandemic has taught you how to overcome adversity. It has taught you the power of flexibility and the tenacity of determination. … You are a living example of what being an East Carolina Pirate is all about,” he said.
Faculty Chair Purificación Martínez noted the pandemic, social injustices, online classes and compressed block scheduling in her address to the graduates.
“Not only have you overcome these once-in-a-lifetime challenges, you have flourished. Well done. I did not expect less of a true Pirate,” she said.
Vern Davenport, chair of the ECU Board of Trustees, congratulated the graduates on overcoming the numerous challenges of the last nine months.
“Never doubt for a second that you’re well educated and you’re prepared for this world,” he said.
Christopher Chung served as the commencement speaker. As chief executive officer of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, he said his job is to sell the state as an ideal place to do business.
“This job is easy because of the impact that East Carolina University has on our state, and this job is about to get even easier because of what people like you, this year’s graduating class, are getting ready to do as you take this next step of your life,” Chung said.
Keynote speaker Christopher Chung
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Interim Chancellor Ron MItchelson
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He said while graduates may think of ECU as a place of cherished memories and of quality education, it is also an economic engine that injects energy into the region, creating a desirable area in which companies can build and grow. Beyond that, he said ECU produces talented graduates companies need to become successful.
He said the fall 2020 graduates have an essential role to play going forward.
“You are among the earliest pioneers to graduate into a new world transformed by this pandemic,” he said. “You are at the vanguard of a post-pandemic world, which gives you tremendous opportunity to make your mark on this new reality we live in. Difficult times? Of course. Plenty of uncertainty? No doubt. But thanks to what I know you have learned during your days at ECU, I’m confident you will give rise to the challenges ahead, that you will give no quarter to any roadblocks you may encounter along the way. I’m confident that beginning today, you will sail forth crafting your own tales of victory draped in purple and gold.”
Graduates available for media interviews:
Dejah Smith, 22, of Charlotte, is graduating with a double major in biology and anthropology. As an intern for the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Youth Leadership Institute, she serves as an advocate for people with bleeding disorders, and she plans to apply to medical school. Smith has also worked in the biology greenhouse and as a mentor in the PRIMER program. She completed a middle college high school program offered through Central Piedmont Community College before becoming a Pirate.
Gillian Pena, 22, of Burlington, will earn a degree in communication with a concentration in public relations and a minor in political science. She plans to move to Chicago, where she was born and still has family, to work in a communications agency following graduation. While a student, Pena had three internships in Chicago and studied in Poland and the Czech Republic with her ECU School of Communication classmates. Download high-resolution images of Gillian Pena
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