360 graduates earn degrees in UOGās second largest commencement
The °µĶųAV conferred degrees to 360 graduates at its FaƱomnĆ„kan Commencement Ceremony on June 18. The number marks the universityās second largest graduating class in history, following last May with 375 graduates. It also marks a record-high number of masterās degrees conferred by the university within an academic year with a total of 144.
The ceremony was held virtually due to safety precautions with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 1,000 people tuned in live for the ceremony on Facebook, and the video has had 32,000 views overall. Following a processional, anthems, invocation, and speeches that were recorded on a decorated stage in the Calvo Field House, each graduateās name was called while their graduation photo and title of their degree showed on screen.
The largest number of undergraduates came from the School of Business & Public Administration, which conferred 95 bachelorās degrees, over half of which were degrees. The School of Education graduated the largest number of graduate students conferring 30 masterās degrees.
āThis class of graduates of the °µĶųAV has been resilient and flexible and supportive in the spirit of our CHamoru values of chenchuleā and inafaāmaolek,ā said UOG President Thomas W. Krise in his remarks. āI am proud of your academic achievements and even prouder of your character. Take what youāve learned with us and help make the world better for us all.ā
āThere will be more hardship coming your way,ā she said. āLife is like that. It spares no one. ⦠You will have to decide what to do about it. Do you surrender to the hardship? Let it derail you? Let it stop you in your tracks? Or do you get back up and find a way over, under, through, around the obstacles that will inevitably come between you and your dream? I hope you choose the latter.ā
The graduates also heard from Class of 2020 Valedictorian Megan Yan Gimmen. A Merit Scholar from Okkodo High School, Gimmen graduated with dual degrees in biology and chemistry. She has been accepted into a selective two-year premedical program at Johns Hopkins University, where she will gain mentorship and research experience prior to applying to medical school.