Commencement 2021, like the pandemic school year that preceded it, is a hybrid affair that celebrates the graduates perseverance and encourages them to bring the same determination and some newfound optimism to their futures.To get where you are today, you had to overcome some of the greatest obstacles ever put before an undergraduate class, Chancellor Jacquie Moloney told the graduates in a pre-recorded ceremony that streamed online before bachelors and masters graduates processed in person through the Tsongas Center in six separate ceremonies one for each college over two days.

True to form, you showed what you are made of. You leaned in and took those challenges on with great courage and strength of character. You excelled in every arena in which you performed, Moloney said. I'm proud of all that you've accomplished during your time at UMass Lowell. And I'm proud of your perseverance. I know your greatest achievements are still in front of you.

That was my only hope since the pandemic started: I was praying to have this ceremony, even with just two guests, she said early Thursday, as she waited outside the Tsongas Center for the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences ceremony.

Its been a really fast four years, she said. I feel like it just snuck up on me.

You've been forced to alter your life; you've made some sacrifices, said Insana, who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Yet I would argue to you that this is not a time to despair. We're about to have an economic boom the likes of which we've not seen since the roaring 1920s.

He urged the graduates to explore new industries, technologies and opportunities created by the pandemic. He also asked those with engineering and technical skills to get deeply involved in the rebuilding of the United States of America to make the economy sustainable and vibrant.

There is no good time or bad time to begin your life. There is only your time, he said. This is your time. Say yes. Make the most of it. And find your passion.

We are the ones who are going to shape the world going forward and decide what kind of world our children will inhabit. Let us rise and be worthy of this historical opportunity to make it a better world, he said.

He ended on a note of gratitude and optimism.

Please take heart in knowing that you have already proven you can persevere, he said. Tough times will eventually turn around. Thank you to UMass Lowell for making sure we are prepared for these times. And always remember, the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.

View post:
Commencement 2021: The Class That Persevered Embraces the Future with Optimism - UMass Lowell