Nearly 300 students were honored at the 2023 Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony.
Nearly 300 students were honored at the 2023 Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony.
On Saturday, May 20, nearly 300 scholars joined the ranks of the Ithaca College alumni community as their master’s and doctoral degrees were conferred. The Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony, held in the Athletics and Events Center, honored the work of advanced degree students.
Throughout the event, speakers touched on key themes of compassion and sustainability.
Jennifer McKeon, associate professor of exercise science and athletic training and faculty chair of the Graduate Council, opened the ceremony by highlighting the bonds formed by students. (Photo by Dave Burbank '82)
Jennifer McKeon, associate professor of exercise science and athletic training and faculty chair of the Graduate Council, opened the ceremony and shared her congratulations to the members of the Class of 2023.
“Your success, on full view today, was constructed and cultivated by a spirit of inquiry, a sense of passion, and a commitment to excellence in your respective fields,” she said. “Along your path to this day, you were encouraged, supported, and challenged by those seated next to you. While at Ithaca College, these relationships, forged in times of intense stress, great achievement, and truly remarkable successes, will be bonds you will carry through the rest of your life.”
McKeon then welcomed Ithaca College president La Jerne Terry Cornish to the stage.
“We are honored that you chose Ithaca College as the place to pursue your advanced schooling and further enrich your lives in this important way. While you will physically leave South Hill, I hope that this community will never be far from your hearts.”
Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish
President Cornish’s address recognized each graduate for their commitment to lifelong learning, commending them for embarking on — and successfully completing — a rigorous course of advanced study. She also acknowledged the challenges that may lie ahead and offered words of wisdom for the graduates stepping into the next phases of their lives.
Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish urged graduates to practice compassion and offer grace to others.
Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish urged graduates to practice compassion and offer grace to others.
“You leave here knowing how to think critically, creatively and analytically. Your professional training has prepared you to hit the ground running in your chosen field,” she said. “As each of you prepares to begin your next chapter, it is my sincere hope that you practice compassion and offer grace when it is warranted, remaining optimistic about humanity's potential for progress and change. But during the times in your life when the valleys come, when hope runs dry, I hope you will find a way to dig the well a little bit deeper, to tap into some reservoir that can sustain your compassion, but also replenish your hope.”
Cornish introduced keynote speaker Scott Doyle ’98, who serves as the college’s director of energy management and sustainability and works to advance sustainability and decarbonization efforts across campus.
Keynote speaker Scott Doyle ’98 encouraged students to lead with compassion. (Photo by Dave Burbank '82)
Doyle detailed how graduates across all fields — from physical therapy to business to education — could implement sustainability throughout their careers, aiding in the fight for a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
He also spoke to the importance of leading with compassion, both as colleagues and community members.
“Remember that when we act with compassion in our jobs, at home and in our communities, we help to change people’s lives. Maybe not forever, but at least for a moment,” Doyle said. “This empathy in action is core to building sustainability in ourselves, our relationships, our communities, and our environment.”
Each member of the graduating class also received a medallion, inscribed with a quote chosen by the president. This year’s quote, by civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., reads, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
“Remember that when we act with compassion in our jobs, at home and in our communities, we help to change people’s lives. Maybe not forever, but at least for a moment. This empathy in action is core to building sustainability in ourselves, our relationships, our communities, and our environment.”
Scott Doyle '98
“To me, this quote reminds us of our shared responsibility, as citizens of the world, to demonstrate compassion and to demonstrate the grace to show love, even when you don't feel like it, and more importantly, to view the world through multiple perspectives,” said Cornish.
The presentation of the graduates then began, with the faculty members serving as hood officiants and placing regalia onto each student. The graduates were met with cheers and applause from the proud friends and family members who gathered to celebrate their success.
Faculty members served as hood officiants during the ceremony.
Faculty members served as hood officiants during the ceremony.
Once each hood had been presented, President Cornish closed out the ceremony by conferring the degrees, officially marking the completion of each student’s course of study. She then addressed the graduates one last time.
“We are honored that you chose Ithaca College as the place to pursue your advanced schooling and further enrich your lives in this important way. We are highly confident in your skills and have no doubt that you will use those skills to make meaningful contributions to your respective disciplines and positively impact society,” she said. “While you will physically leave South Hill, I hope that this community will never be far from your hearts.”
Graduates and their supporters were then welcomed to a reception, where hugs were exchanged, bouquets of flowers were presented, and photos were snapped as the members of the Class of 2023 excitedly celebrated their shared accomplishment.
For master of science in occupational therapy graduates like Stephanie Fine ’22, MS ’23, the commencement ceremony also served as a reunion.
After the ceremony, the newest group of Ithaca College alumni celebrated with friends — including the furry kind — and family.
After the ceremony, the newest group of Ithaca College alumni celebrated with friends — including the furry kind — and family.
“It's really been special to be honored in this way, and to be with my peers,” she said. “In March, we all went off to different parts of the country to do fieldwork, so everyone came back to Ithaca this weekend. I'm seeing some people that I haven't seen in a while, and it’s so great to all be together one last time.
“Five years of work here really happened kind of in a flash,” Fine added. “I feel like I've grown a lot, I've learned a lot and I've formed a lot of really great relationships.”
Vasileios Balanikas MM ’23, an international student from Greece, spoke to the work that went into completing his master of music degree in piano performance.
“This is something I’ve been waiting for since my junior year of high school. There have been a lot of obstacles, but also so much perseverance, powering through and finding my own resilience, even though I didn’t always know I had it.”
Michele Hyland ’21, DPT ’23
“This feels amazing,” he said. “It was two years of hard work and a lot of practice and studying, but I did it. I think [Ithaca College] is quite a great institution, and I really enjoyed my time here. Now I’m ready to head back to Greece and establish myself as a pianist.”
Michele Hyland ’21, DPT ’23, described the feeling of receiving her doctorate as coming full circle.
“This is something I’ve been waiting for since my junior year of high school,” Hyland said. “There have been a lot of obstacles, but also so much perseverance, powering through and finding my own resilience, even though I didn’t always know I had it.”