Three Ceremonies Celebrate the Resiliency of the Class of 2021

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Three Ceremonies Celebrate the Resiliency of the Class of 2021

Davis & Elkins College celebrated a milestone within a milestone with three separate Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021. The break from tradition of a single ceremony was put into place to ensure the safety of students and their guests during the COVID-19 pandemic. While students received their diplomas in person, other parts of the ceremonies – including the hoodings which are normally a part of the Baccalaureate Service – were prerecorded and shown on a large screen as the graduates crossed the stage of Harper-McNeeley Auditorium. Award presentations and a special question-and-answer with the graduates was also part of the video presentation. Davis & Elkins President Chris A. Wood served as the keynote speaker for the ceremonies, congratulating the students on the accomplishments they earned through hard work and the dedication of faculty, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Over the past 15 months, I have learned something very important about the Class of 2021,” Wood said. “I have learned of your resilience, and your drive to succeed, and your willingness to do whatever it takes, even in a pandemic, to reach your goals. This is why, I know in my heart, great things await each of you in your lives, and your lives are going to make a positive difference to your families, your communities, and to our world.”

Wood told the graduates that the commencement activities are not the culmination of the journey, but rather a milestone along the way. “The journey that brought these students to the mountains of Randolph County and to the gem of an institution on the hill continues, and it will lead them to places and experiences that hold great promise,” Wood said. “Like the friendships our students have forged on this campus, there are intriguing, creative and life-loving people waiting to be encountered on the journey as our graduates move on from D&E. They literally have their lives before them, and they are lives filled with opportunity thanks, in no small part, to their years at Davis & Elkins College.” In a pre-recorded address, Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco, a Davis & Elkins graduate from the Class of 1990, congratulated the class for their resiliency, determination, flexibility and creativity in overcoming unprecedented times to achieve their goals. “No other graduating class has had to navigate the uncertainty of a pandemic,” Marco said. “However, I feel this has better prepared you to achieve anything you want in life. No matter what life throws at you in the future, you are prepared to adapt and overcome.” Chairman of the Board of Trustees Mark Barber ’75 also addressed the class and their guests, congratulating them on behalf of the Board of Trustees and sharing his experience as a student. “With the help and support of a wonderfully talented faculty, I got prepared for what was ahead,” Barber said. “To think critically, creatively and independently; to communicate effectively; to act responsibly as a citizen of different communities; how to collaborate and work for a common purpose; and to live a life of perspective and meaning and service.” The group also heard from Salutatorian Geovani Steven Ibarra of Damascus, Maryland, and Valedictorian Samantha Kirk of Harrisville, West Virginia. Ibarra offered his classmates three principles that could help guide them in life. The first, he said, is that knowledge is not always about how much you know, but about how you apply what you know. For the second principle, he encouraged the graduates to give their all to everything they do. Finally, Ibarra said he hopes his classmates never feel successful to the point that pride is blinding. “I hope you never feel successful because if you do, you might stop working,” Ibarra explained. “You might stop trying as hard as you did when what you have was once what you wanted. You’ll stop moving forward. No matter how high we climb, we can always climb higher. We can always push

Karin Rosario walks with purpose on her way to Commencement.

Preparing to enter one of the Commencement ceremonies are, from left, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Phillips, Salutatorian Geovani Steven Ibarra, President Chris A. Wood, Valedictorian Samantha Kirk and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Mark Barber. Marquis Harris, right, explains what he will miss about D&E in a “RealDeal” style video with host Clay Messinger. Videos for each student were played on a large screen as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.

further. It doesn’t matter if you sprint, jog, walk or crawl. Just keep moving forward.”

Kirk told her classmates that although graduating marks the end of being an undergraduate student at D&E, it doesn’t mean the bonds formed will cease. “When all of us went to film our hooding ceremonies last week, we were asked to answer a question about our time at D&E, and the question, ‘who will you miss the most?’ felt so strange to answer,” Kirk said. “As if I was never going to see the people I found here again, as if I won’t have dinner with my coaches every time I’m even remotely close to Elkins, as if I won’t be emailing my professors for advice, as if my friends from here won’t be in my wedding.” “We know who our people are, whether they were all allowed to be in this room or not,” Kirk said. “And even though I refuse to call this goodbye, I am going to miss not seeing those people, not seeing you all, every day.” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Phillips announced special honors that were presented to students in prerecorded videos. Award recipients were: Kirk, Mary Mildred Sullivan Award; Douglas Peterson, Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award; Purdum-Goddin Distinguished Graduate Award, Makayla Haddix; Faculty Senior Award, Cody Turner; and Freeman J. Daniels Academic Achievement Award, Kirk.

Graduates are congratulated by 2020-2021 Student Assembly President Elijah Cordle, faculty, staff and friends as they exit Myles Center for the Arts. Mikayla Ashley, left, and Danielle Godbey recite the Florence Nightingale Pledge during the Nurses’ Pinning Ceremony.