BOULDER, Colo. — More than 9,000 graduates officially earned their degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) on Thursday.
Family, friends and the Class of 2021 celebrated in a virtual commencement ceremony, the second in the university’s history due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Praised for their years of hard work and overcoming challenges, particularly over the past year, the new graduates join 300,000 CU Boulder alumni worldwide.
CU Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano praised the Class of 2021 for not waiting to graduate to make a difference.
> Above video: CU grad's card game is about learning, not winning.
“You have not waited to graduate to engage and change the world,” said DiStefano. “In your time here, you have advocated for social change and racial equality. You are already creating the world in which you want to live, succeed, thrive and pass on to the next generation.”
DiStefano said CU's Class of 2021 “persevered through one of the most difficult times in the university’s 145-year history.”
The virtual commencement ceremony began with footage of the ceremonial mace traveling to iconic Boulder locations on and off campus, from the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre to The Sink restaurant on University Hill.
Over the past few weeks, Class of 2021 graduates were able to participate in in-person Grad Appreciation Days activities on campus such as various selfie stations on campus, a walk across a stage at Folsom Field in cap and gown, and a place to decorate their caps.
“We are living in complicated times and sometimes it’s tough to see the light, the hope, the brightness,” said speaker Dwinita “Nita” Mosby Tyler, founder of The Equity Project. “Know that sometimes the greatest life lessons sit in this complication.”
CU said about 9,000 undergraduate and graduate degrees were conferred. The degree candidates are from fall 2020, spring 2021 and summer 2021.
They include 6,967 bachelor’s degrees, 1,747 master’s degrees, 402 doctoral degrees and 191 law degree candidates, according to CU.
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