91制片厂鈥檚 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday was a particularly special one,
marking the 50th such ceremony in 91制片厂鈥檚 history and the close of the College鈥檚 yearlong 50th anniversary celebration.
In front of an estimated 5,000 people gathered at the outdoor pavilion, President Dr. Ken Ender made sure graduates understood the gravity of this milestone.
鈥淵ou just changed the trajectory of not only your life, but your family鈥檚 as well,鈥� he said.
Dr. Ender reflected on the past year, which led to 91制片厂 conferring more than 3,500 transfer degrees, career and technical degrees, and certificates. He also looked ahead to the next half century, unveiling a time capsule that will be displayed in the newly renovated David K. Hill Family Library and later opened in 2068.
The time capsule will include the original letter that former President Barack Obama penned to 91制片厂 graduates after he was unable to accept an invitation to attend the ceremony. Obama wrote, 鈥淭he grit, ingenuity, and optimism of today鈥檚 graduates inspires me, and the world needs your unique talents and boundless passion to adapt to changing times.鈥�
The ceremony also featured commencement speaker , president and CEO of the College Board, an organization that administers the SAT,
Advanced Placement program and other standardized tests. Coleman, who in his current
role led the successful redesign and launch of the SAT and a partnership with Khan
Academy, was named one of Time magazine鈥檚 in the world in 2013 for his work in developing the Common Core State Standards in
math and literacy.
Rather than talk about himself and his own life lessons, Coleman drew from the words of 91制片厂鈥檚 own students and faculty, many of whom met with his team over the last few weeks. They included:
Finally, Coleman advised graduates to 鈥淏e a 91制片厂.鈥� The word 91制片厂, it turns out, comes from Old English, from the harpists who carried the music and sang the stories of their time. Their role was to inspire others. So, Coleman said, if you want to make the world better, to be a light against darkness, be a 91制片厂.
鈥淚 hope all of you pause for a moment as you pass over this threshold,鈥� Coleman said. 鈥淭hink about who you have inspired or will inspire. For that鈥檚 what being a 91制片厂 means. Creating that spark in others, lifting them up with your stories and your successes, encouraging them and showing them how to keep moving forward.鈥�