Susquehanna University hosts commencement
May 21—SELINSGROVE — The 532 Susquehanna University graduates were lauded at Saturday's commencement for their resiliency while earning a four-year degree amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Delivering remarks at the university's 165th commencement held in the Robert I. Estill Field House, SU President Jonathan Green said that attribute will be needed as they make their way into the world.
"Our successful future will depend on resilience and fidelity to bring our communities, nations, and world together, and to foster commitments to live in peace and concord," he said.
Arianna Sivio, president of the Student Government Association, also mentioned the pandemic that began months after the Class of 2023 arrived on campus.
"In four years, we bore witness to historic events that left many speechless, but not the Class of 2023," said Sivio. "In our time together, we made it through a tumultuous election. We came together to protect democracy, joined hands and raised our voices for women's rights and autonomy, climate change, racial and social justice and so many other movements. Through it all, we have proved that we are a force to be reckoned with. Aside from a global pandemic, our world has virtually been turned upside down. Rather than remaining silent, we stood together and led each other through what seemed like a never-ending darkness."
In her keynote address, Catherine Pierce, poet laureate of Mississippi and 2000 Susquehanna graduate, offered some advice to the new graduates.
"Pay attention ... Keep your phone in your pocket as you walk across campus later today. Look at the gingkoes, the way the afternoon sun plays off the red brick, the chipmunk scurrying under a bush. You're going to miss those chipmunks. I still miss them," she said. "It doesn't have to be something big; in fact, it shouldn't be. Get into the practice of paying close attention to the small things of the world around you, because those small things are not small at all.
"And pay attention not only to the beauty of the world, but also to the injustice, the inequities, the casual and not so casual cruelty. Pay attention so that you can do something about it. Noticing leads to caring; caring should lead to change."
During the commencement, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters was bestowed on Pierce.
Several graduates were also singled out for their achievements, including Grant Rowe, of Selinsgrove, a valedictorian and summa cum laude, and Lt. Samantha Marsh, of Danville, who graduated summa cum laude.
Rowe plans to work in the sustainability field and said his studies at Susquehanna have well-prepared him for his career path.
"From working in the Office of Sustainability to helping start an Environmental Club, Susquehanna University has not only allowed me to practice what I have learned, but to gain the valuable skills that I believe will be necessary for a successful future," he said.
Marsh is headed to South Korea to serve as a medical services corps officer in the U.S. Army in the 568th Ground Ambulance Company.
"The support I experienced at Susquehanna is going to be something I take with me into my career as a leader and a lifelong learner," she said. "That is something that I know SU does for every student whether they are currently studying or have long since graduated. I have a home here."
