LHU holds in-person, out-door spring 2021 commencement ceremonies

RecordStaffMay 10, 2021Last Updated: May 10, 2021

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– Students during Saturday afternoon’s undergraduate ceremony.

LOCK HAVEN, PA — Lock Haven University recently celebrated the achievements of nearly 400 graduates during the 143rd spring commencement ceremonies. At 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 7, graduate students received their degrees. On Saturday, May 8, undergraduate ceremonies took place at 10 a.m. for the College of Natural, Behavioral and Health Sciences and at 2 p.m. for the colleges of Liberal Arts and Education and Business, Information Systems and Human Services. All Class of 2021 ceremonies were held at Charlotte Smith Field.

At all three ceremonies, Dr. Ron Darbeau, provost, welcomed the guests and a greeting from the faculty and coaches was given by Peter Campbell, president of LHU APSCUF and professor and chair of the Sport Studies Department.

The student speaker for the Friday evening graduate ceremony was Erin Raible. Student speaker for the Saturday morning undergraduate ceremony was Jessica Cover and the Saturday afternoon ceremony was Rachel Knoblauch.

Lieutenant Colonel John “Chris” Acosta and Mae Brook McGrath during the ROTC commissioning following the 2 p.m. undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, May 8.

Interim president Dr. Bashar Hanna offered congratulations to the graduates during all three ceremonies, sharing his excitement for the opportunity to host in-person ceremonies to celebrate the Class of 2021 graduates. “To you, the graduates, we are profoundly grateful and proud of you for your patience, your grit, your diligence, and your perseverance,” Hanna said.

“Your status as a bald eagle is now memorialized for your lifetime,” Hanna added. “My challenge and request to our graduates as you begin your careers or continue your education, is this: Make sure you wake up every morning with one goal in mind – to face life’s challenges and make a positive impact in the life of another so that our future is a better place than the one we live in today. The world needs your compassion, empathy and leadership. I implore you to find your path to make your contributions. Test what you see and hear. Be courageous. Make your voice heard and make a difference.”

A commissioning ceremony also took place on May 8, at the conclusion of the 2 p.m. undergraduate ceremony for students receiving a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army after successfully completing all the requirements of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program. Lieutenant Colonel John “Chris” Acosta administrated the commissioning oath.