‘They all deserve to be celebrated’: Penn State holds in-person commencement for Class of 2020
Friendly reunions, teary eyed parents, billowing gowns and soaring caps filled Penn State’s campus this weekend as the Class of 2020 returned to seek the part of their college experience that they lost to the COVID-19 pandemic: closure.
After in-person commencement was replaced by a virtual event two years ago, Penn State finally gave 2020 graduates the chance to walk across the Bryce Jordan Center platform as their name was announced, celebrating their accomplishments with friends and family in a weekend full of events.
The weekend-long celebration began Friday night with singer Jack Harlow headlining the Movin’ On Festival at the IM fields. Commencement began at the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday with undergraduate ceremonies starting at 9 a.m. and noon, and the graduate ceremony starting at 4 p.m.
All Penn State graduates who earned an associate or bachelor’s degree in spring, summer or fall 2020 from any Penn State campus, including World Campus, were welcome to attend the event with friends and family.
In 2020, 14,214 graduate and undergraduate degrees were awarded. Over 1,300 graduates registered for this weekend’s commencement celebration, with total registration — including guests — equaling over 5,200. While it was not required, graduates could choose to wear traditional caps and gowns for the ceremonies — an option many took advantage of.
The day after Thon 2020 ended, then senior Nisha Moorthy went out with friends to celebrate her 22nd birthday. She didn’t know it at the time, but that celebration marked the end of her in-person college experience.
She left for spring break a few days later, leaving her friends with a simple, “see you guys when I get back” before hopping on her flight home to Seattle. While the flight was supposed to be round trip, Moorthy never returned to campus. Instead, spring break was extended before the decision was made that the remainder of the semester would be remote.
“I was expecting to be home for 10 days and I’ve been here for two plus years now,” Moorthy, now 24, said. “I think for all of us, the worst part is we never really got to say goodbye.”
Moorthy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2020 and is now an account executive in Seattle. She, along with her parents and brother, took off work to travel across the country and attend the event that Penn State promised 2020 graduates after canceling the original in-person graduation.
“My parents have been super supportive and have always said, ‘If you ever get the chance to walk, we will be there,’ ” Moorthy said. “For them, buying a plane ticket is their way of showing that they want to celebrate my accomplishments.”
Moorthy also emphasized that this weekend was a way to honor the graduates who were forced to navigate postgraduate adulthood during an unprecedented and challenging time. While she said she has been fortunate in terms of her employment, she emphasized that many of her peers have struggled to get jobs due to the pandemic.
Overall, as she reflects on her college experience, Moorthy calls it “the best 3.75 years.” Those eight weeks at the end, however, robbed her and her classmates of the opportunity to truly feel like a senior. No celebrations. No bar crawls. No photos of her in her cap and gown — until this weekend, when she finally got to make up for lost time.
“Maybe in 10 years I won’t care about my undergraduate graduation but at the time and even still now, it can be painful to think about,” Moorthy said. “For me, this weekend is 90% about closure and the other 10% is this resilience piece, that we did something super big by graduating college during a pandemic — and we turned out OK.”
During her senior year, Jillian Beitter was part of a national student advertising team that was preparing to travel to New York City to present their campaign. Her last core college memory is practicing her presentation with her group so they would be ready when they returned to campus.
She then came home for spring break, had her presentation canceled and found out she wouldn’t be returning to campus. Just weeks later, her grandfather died from COVID-19.
She ended her Penn State journey by watching her graduation on the television screen in the living room of her family home. For her, despite the time gone by, attending graduation this weekend was a way to experience “the Penn State spirit” one more time.
“I know a lot of people at this point that think after two years, the ship has sailed, and so they aren’t coming to graduation — but I believe it’s really important for us to have this moment,” Beitter, who is now a media strategist in New York City, said.
When she found out the final semester of her senior year would be remote, Beitter said she was devastated, adding that 2020 graduates missed out on a lot of Penn State senior traditions that are supposed to culminate all the hard work and commitment put in over the past four years.
“Having this graduation, it’s like that one piece that we still can treasure and have,” Beitter said. “I’m grateful that Penn State is taking the time and energy to put together something for us because I think the Class of 2020 really deserves it.”
While Beitter expressed her excitement for finally having her moment to walk across the Bryce Jordan Center stage, she joked that her mother was even more thrilled when she found out Penn State was finally holding the graduation.
For parents, commencement is a way to celebrate their child’s achievements and mark their progression to new endeavors. After watching her daughter persevere through the difficulties that accompanied the pandemic, Cheryl Beitter said it was time for her to get the recognition she deserves.
“She is such a hard worker and loves Penn State so much, but I wish she could get back those last months when the university really celebrates the senior class,” Cheryl Beitter said. “But I’m so proud of her and I’m so glad she is finally getting some closure. They all deserve to be celebrated.”
In addition to the commencement ceremonies, the Penn State Alumni Association hosted a “Welcome Home” tailgate at the Hintz Family Alumni Center and provided professional photos at the Lion Shrine, the We Are Statue and Old Main. Each academic college also hosted open houses and receptions to celebrate their graduates.
At Saturday’s Smeal College of Business celebration at the Business Building, students and guests reunited with classmates, faculty and staff — enjoying Berkey Creamery ice cream and a champagne toast to honor the Class of 2020.
Jeanette Miller, assistant clinical professor of entrepreneurship at Smeal, was present at the event. After launching an ambassador program for students to represent the corporate innovation and entrepreneurship major, Miller, the director of the major, stayed in touch with the three original ambassadors who were supposed to graduate in 2020.
As soon as she heard that they were returning for the weekend, she said she knew she wanted to be there to help celebrate them and their success.
“It’s a chance for these students to come back and be recognized and celebrate with their families, and it’s also a chance for me to meet their families and loved ones,” Miller said. “I go to every graduation because I think it’s important to recognize the work of our students but I think it’s even more important now because the 2020 graduates really had everything pulled from them.”
For those who were not able to attend the in-person celebration, the ceremonies were livestreamed on the commencement website.
