On August 22, Bentley University held its first-ever, virtual graduation ceremony for the 101st undergraduate commencement and 45th graduate commencement for the Class of 2020.
The ceremony was initially scheduled to take place in person on May 16; however, this format proved impossible to implement safely after the CDC declared a global pandemic in mid-March. On April 7, the Commencement Office announced that degrees would remain conferred on May 16 and that the graduate/PhD and undergraduate ceremonies would be delayed to August 21 and 22, respectively, following a new format. Each graduate would be allowed to invite two guests to attend the ceremony in person; additional guests would have the opportunity to watch the ceremony through overflow viewing rooms. The Commencement Office still encouraged Bentley grads to share their accomplishments on social media under #BentleyU2020 on May 16 and the days of the ceremonies. Degrees were mailed out shortly after the conferral date.
On June 30, the Commencement Office announced that one virtual ceremony would take place for all graduates. An in-person ceremony was no longer viable because it would not be in compliance with gathering guidelines issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and many out of state guests would have to quarantine. Graduates received Commencement packages containing diploma covers, honor cords, recognition books, pendants, and puzzles in the mail in late July. Graduates, family, and friends logged onto bentley.edu/commencement to watch the celebration live on August 22 at 10 A.M.
The ceremony itself included about a 20-minute main ceremony, after which graduates could click on their undergraduate or graduate and PhD recognition ceremony; the reading of the graduates’ names, sorted by last name, marked the conclusion of the ceremony. One thousand, six hundred eighty-three students celebrated graduation, which included 1,063 recipients of bachelor’s degrees, 614 recipients of master’s degrees, and six recipients of PhDs.
The main ceremony kicked off with overhead shots of the Bentley campus accompanied by music from the Boston Brass Ensemble. Professor Joseph J. Newpol acted as the ceremonial marshal, a position he has held for over a decade at Bentley graduations. Reverend Dr. Robin J. Olson commented on the resiliency of the graduates in a world faced with coronavirus and racial injustice. She also led the Bentley community in prayer, and called us to remember the lives of Ahmed Maruf, Max Evensen, and Patrick Coffey. Graduate Ashley Scholten sang a beautiful rendition of “America the Beautiful (O Beautiful for Spacious Skies)” shortly thereafter.
Next, Dr. Donna Blanchero remarked on the Class of 2020’s willingness to adapt to challenges and stressed the importance of diversity. She announced the recipients of the Weafer Award (Ryan Guenette) and Dandes Award (Henrik Behr, Austin Littell, Vinay Marwaha, and Jacob Oransky); these awards commemorate the student(s) who earned the highest overall GPA as an undergraduate or graduate. Dr. Blanchero then recognized Olga Biedova, Fernanda Maciel, Melissa Renschler, Annie Witte, Quinn Coen, and Vasilia Vasiliou for earning their doctorates.
Another distinguishing factor of this graduation aside from being online is that Bentley’s eighth president Alison Davis-Blake was not present during the virtual ceremony due to her abrupt resignation in mid-June. Instead, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Acting President Paul Condrin welcomed the graduates to a network of over 65,000 alumni in his commencement speech. Alumnus Andrew Qin from the Class of 2019 closed out the main ceremony on his violin.
The undergraduate recognition ceremony contained a series of reflections from VP of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Andrew Shepardson, as well as graduating students. Dean Shepardson recounted lyrics from the song “He Went to Paris” and their relation to what the graduates have experienced over their time at Bentley. Graduate Fabiola Falaise was thankful for her time at Bentley, and she called for the Class of 2020 to take action and make an impact. Graduate Jinny Choi was grateful to surround herself with people and organizations at Bentley that helped her become the best version of herself. Graduate Gabrielle Casalino commented on the importance of keeping in contact with our Bentley network and opening ourselves up to others. Graduate Jesse Nava reminded us to be prepared to step into our new roles and be ready to initiate change. To close the ceremony, Dean Shepardson stated he looked forward to future reunions for the special Class of 2020.
Associate Professor of Management and Director of the MBA Program Iris Berdrow initiated the graduate recognition ceremony. Dr. Berdrow commended the graduates on juggling multiple responsibilities throughout their time at Bentley. She also congratulated the 39 students who completed the 4-year Advanced Degree in Finance program and the six students who earned PhDs. Graduate Hussein Aspaas reminded us to utilize our diverse Bentley network to progress socially and professionally. Graduate Susan Yates acknowledged that while we all pictured a different ceremony in our heads, we should remember this time as a milestone to learn from our struggles as we grow as people.
If you would like to view the main ceremony, recognition ceremonies, and/or reading of the names, recordings are available online at bentley.edu/commencement. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
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