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The Passion to Make a Difference
On October 3, 2021, Wilmington University honored more than 6,600 graduates during its 49th and 50th Commencement ceremonies at the Chase Center on the Riverfront. It was the first time the University held its graduation ceremonies since January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the excitement in the building was palpable.
Members of the Classes of 2020 and 2021 hail from 80 countries, representing Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. The most distant graduates live in Japan and South Korea. The youngest was 18 years old; the oldest, 82. More than 1,700 completed their degrees entirely online. Now, they join the WilmU Alumni Association, which hosts over 64,000 members.
Reflecting on the extraordinary and challenging circumstances facing these students as they pursued their degrees, Wilmington University faculty and staff were struck by the passion exhibited by the 2020 and 2021 graduates—the passion to excel, reach for dreams, work through adversity, and make a difference in their communities.
This passion was evident in commencement addresses given throughout the day. The speakers shared their WilmU experiences and reflected on how their families, as well as WilmU faculty and staff, supported them in realizing their goals.
Dr. Lemar T. White, who completed his M.S. in Accounting, has a devoted history with Wilmington University. His accounting degree is the third master’s he has earned through WilmU, and he has taught at the University as an adjunct professor for more than 10 years.
The Barbados native currently works at Google as its diversity, equity and inclusion learning strategist and emphasized how actions speak louder than words. “We all had dreams of someday graduating with our degrees,” White reflected. “But we didn’t just dream. We put in the work, the hard work, to be here today … You didn’t just say you are going to earn your degree, you did it.”
“Wilmington University offered support, guidance and accommodations to each of us during a time of tremendous uncertainty,” Jacqueline Cameron, who graduated with her M.S. in Management, shared in her address. “This institution provided a platform for us to receive valuable instruction in our chosen fields and laid the foundation for the many achievements we celebrate here today. The administrators, advisors, professors and countless others worked tirelessly to be the leading advocates for our success, and encouraged us to reach our greatest potential.”
Supporting students’ passion to make a difference is just one of the ways Wilmington University has worked for these graduates, and many more like them. If you’d like to advance your education at an institution where passion is recognized, celebrated, and actively supported, go to go.wilmu.edu/2022 to get started. You could be in class by January 10!
Samuel Kmiec, a graduate of the B.S. in Video and Film Production program, shared how his major league baseball career was cut short due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, and how this life-changing event revealed his passion for visual art and storytelling. “WilmU offered a chance to learn again, to speak with professors who are out in the field doing the work we all want to do,” Kmiec explained.
"We all strive to make a difference, and WilmU has provided a strong foundation for us to realize our potential.” —Samuel Kmiec | Class of 2020, B.S. in Video and Film Production
Make Your Move in 2022.
WilmU works for you.
