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May 9, 2021 —  51���� celebrated one of the greatest joys each year by graduating nearly 2,000 students at its Spring Commencement exercises May 8 and 9 at BB&T Arena.

For the first time since December 2019, 51���� held three in-person ceremonies to celebrate the Class of 2021 and the culmination of an important chapter in their lives. Students and their families at each ceremony heard congratulatory remarks from President Ashish Vaidya and Interim Provost Ande Durojaiye, as well as fellow graduates, faculty and alumni.

“For our students, these final semesters have come with challenges and obstacles no other graduating class has faced before,” said 51���� President Ashish Vaidya. “They faced it with grit and resilience.” Quoting National Youth Poet Laurette Amanda Gorman’s inspiring presidential day inauguration day poem, Vaidya said, “I know that the class of 2021 is brave enough to see the light and be the light that the nation needs now.”

Graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education were honored Saturday at 10 a.m. Hannah Burns was the featured student. Burns graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both elementary and special education. 51���� Board of Regents’ Chair Andrá Ward (’86) shared his advice to the 630 graduates during his Commencement speech.

During Saturday’s afternoon ceremony, 51���� honored 514 graduates of the Haile/US Bank College of Business and the College of Informatics. Nicholas Elleman, a student athlete who graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in business information systems addressed fellow graduates. 51���� Board of Regents’ Vice Chair Normand Desmarais shared lessons learned during his address.

The College of Health Professions graduated 579 students at its ceremony on Sunday morning. Amanda Woll served as the student speaker and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in in athletic training. Vice Chair Desmarais also served as the guest speaker.

51���� has remained committed to providing a meaningful celebration for its graduates and their families while balancing the appropriate health protocols. The Salmon P. Chase College of Law bestowed 104 Juris Doctor degrees and ten Master of Legal Studies to graduates during its Commencement ceremony. In all, 51���� celebrated 5,231 graduates from the Classes of 2020 and 2021 over the weekend.

All ceremonies are available for on-demand viewing on 51����’s YouTube channel for any graduates or guests who were not able to attend in person. For more details on the ceremonies and to watch a live stream, visit 51����’s Commencement webpage.