IUP graduates nearly 1,500 students during weekend of ceremonies
May 8—INDIANA, Pa. — Nearly 1,500 students from the Indiana University at Pennsylvania (IUP) continued their stories as they graduated in ceremonies on Friday and Saturday from the college.
The university saw 1,446 total graduates in the two days of ceremonies, with 1,021 undergraduates graduating Saturday at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex with IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll presiding over the ceremonies.
During the morning graduation ceremony, student speaker Taylor Smith, a nursing graduate from Greencastle, Franklin County, reminded her fellow graduates that their story is not over just because this chapter is.
"When I was asked to speak, my mind was immediately flooded with all the subjects that I can address, and after several days of careful thinking I finally, something I have been told a lot recently, is that your story is not over," she said. "This past semester, I have faced one of the toughest personal hardships in my life and the thing I had to keep reminding myself of is that your story is not over."
She added that with no more tests to study for and preparing to enter "the real world," she realizes that they are all experiencing changes.
"What comes next in your book of life might surprise you, and who knows, it might take you places you've never dreamed you'd go. This story. Your story is not over. It has just begun," Smith said.
Alum Bonnie Anderson was recognized with an honorary business degree. Anderson graduated from the university's medical technology program and later co-founded the company Veracyte, a genomic diagnostics company headquartered in south San Francisco.
She returned to medical testing in regards to women's health after she retired to travel with her husband, who later died of COVID-19.
"There are so many paths that can lead to fulfillment and success and the only thing that really matters is how you personally define that life and careers or choice," Anderson told graduates. "You have to navigate, go with the flow, enjoy and learn to thrive."
Madison Piatak, a safety, health and environmental applied sciences major from Portage, was among a handful of students to be able to graduate Saturday with a 4.0 grade point average.
Piatak, 22, said that she started at Penn Highlands Community College and transferred to IUP. She credits the foundation from the community college, from which she received a scholarship to IUP thanks to her grades, and credits small class sizes with her success.
"I felt like I was able to be more personal, personable with the professors, and it was just a great experience as far as learning and even getting involved in stuff. There's a lot of opportunity as far as that. So that's a plus as well," she said.
Piatak said that she plans to complete an internship this summer.
"I am going to a Fortune 500 oil and gas company this summer to do an internship, and then we're going to see what my options are," she said, adding that she doesn't want to stay very far from home. "So I'm looking to move closer to home to get a full-time job, because I do have family back here. A lot of family back here."
Biology pre-medicine major Scott Semelsberger, of Northern Cambria, also graduated Saturday with a 4.0 GPA.
"I think it's kind of bittersweet. IUP is such a great place for me. I learned so much, not just academically, but personal growth," he said of graduation. "I'm excited for the next steps, but looking back, like, for example, the faculty, especially the biology department, I think they really pushed me to be my best and it was a great three years. I can't imagine coming in. never imagined I would get so much done in three years."
For Semelsberger, 21, he will be moving to Boston in June to do research at Harvard Medical School, and during that time, he will be applying to medical schools.
"It's been great. I had a lot of opportunities available to me that I never thought that I would have," he said.
