Vassar College Holds 156th Graduation Ceremony

By Jennifer L. Warren

POUGHKEEPSIE – The pandemic might have temporarily suspended the in-person Vassar College Commencement Exercises; however, it was unable to touch the positively profound effect the school’s imprint has had on many of the Class of 2020 recent graduates.

“My time at Vassar is something I will hold dear to me, especially in light of the world events this semester, because it taught me I don’t ever have to be alone in my undertakings,” reflected Heather Phan Nguyen, 2020 Class President, who hopes to pursue a career in communications marketing. “Even when the going gets tough, I have the support and care of a community I worked hard to be a part of the past four years, and that makes me feel like everything will be okay, even when it’s hard.”

For Nguyen and her classmates, the challenging times came much earlier than expected, when their campus had to abruptly close down back in March due to COVID-19. Suddenly, the tail end of their collegiate journeys transitioned away from dorms and classrooms and back home, on their computers, doing the best they could to round out their academic year, learning remotely. Despite the outward changes that surrounded them, nothing could erase the footprint their Vassar experience had already made on them.

“Attending Vassar was the best decision I ever made; it forces you to think differently about the world and to think critically when presented with a problem,” said graduate Owen Murray, an economics major from New Jersey. “I have met some of my best friends here, taken a diverse set of coursework, worked with the smartest professors and students, and I am certain Vassar has allowed me to become a better person.”

Heather Phan Nguyen
Heather Phan Nguyen

Both Nguyen and Murray, along with all of their 2020 classmates, were honored this past weekend in a virtual celebration that spanned four days and was laden with a host of activities paying tribute to the unique diversity that defines Vassar. Thursday featured a Sigma Xi event. On Friday, a Phi Beta Kappa Reception along with Asian-Pacific Islander Graduation Ceremony was held. Saturday featured a host of activities, including the Latinex Student Union Sarape Ceremony as well as the African American Alumnae/i Celebration. While the weekend culminated with Sunday’s Commencement.

Graduate Eugene Lopez-Huerta assisted with the semantics of the Transitions end of the year events as well as Latin X Sole Ceremony. A first-generation, low income student from Nevada, Lopez-Huerta specifically worked on the digital scrapbook, brilliantly displayed during Commencement this past weekend.

“Looking through those photos gave me joy, knowing how far we’ve come and how much space we’ve built,” explained Lopez-Huerta. “It inspires me to keep moving forward with optimism, knowing my connections at Vassar will last a lifetime, regardless of where exactly we find ourselves.”

Eugene Lopez-Huerta
Eugene Lopez-Huerta

Nguyen, Murray and Lopez-Huerta, along with their entire 2020 Vassar College Class, are hoping to have an opportunity-whether this summer or next year- to see those special people who formed unforgettable, indelible marks on their lives the last four years, at a traditional graduation. Regardless of when that exact event transpires, they each know some things can’t be taken away; they are simply felt, poignantly and forever.

“We are certainly all looking forward to an in-person commencement in the future,” said Lopez-Huerta. “However, I also recognize that my family and friends have been with me every step of the way, even now.”

It’s that very sentiment that Vassar College President, Elizabeth Bradley resonated in her remarks to graduates.

“I am so sorry not to have you right here in front of me-to shake hands, to high five, to give a hug, to meet your parents, but you are here in spirit; I can feel it.” said Bradley.
She then went on to allude to one of her favorite books, THE LITTLE PRINCE. Quoting its author, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the fourth year President Bradley, summed up what so many graduates expressed and were feeling on this milestone day, “The most beautiful things in the world, cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.”

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