[Music]
University of Washington is one of
the most beautiful college campuses in the
country. More than 45,000 students attend classes and more than 120
majors today some 6,700+ graduates will graduate
with bachelor's master's and doctoral degrees
and they will do it like never before hello
everyone I'm Erin Mayovski and I'm Gaard Swanson
we want to welcome viewers here in the United
States and get this across the globe because
the UW has students from literally just about
everywhere except maybe Antarctica that's
pretty cool and that's why today's commencement
ceremony is unlike any other Gaard because
today is the first ever virtual graduation
at the UW students spent their final quarter
this year completing their degrees with online
classes due to the corona virus pandemic yeah
it's been such a crazy year but as you will
learn over the next hour there will be many
UW traditions including caps and gowns and
a full processional for the graduates we'll
give you a sneak peak in a preview of how
that will happen a little bit later in the
show but first we need all of your help today
to make this ceremony as special as possible
for our graduates we have a full team of social
media experts who are ready and already working
to bring you into our program are you having
a graduation event today we're calling them
watch parties and if you're celebrating we
want to see it we want to hear your shout
out your congratulations and of course all
the cheering take a look at some of the watch
parties already in full swing
all right there will be a lot of husky grad parties around
the world today around the world that's so
cool and speaking of Husky graduates right
here yep that's me I know you went to San Diego
State but it's fun being here on campus I've
had such a great time look at me there Oh
a young Erin that's with my brother he graduated
shorecrest high school the same year I graduated
and there are some of my friends that day
was so special you can see they've circled
me to find me edged a little bit shorter hair
I think I just got in the TV business and
I cut it for that anchor bob and we went around
campus all day long and we just hung out took
pictures enjoyed the scenery walk the campus
not realizing that this is really gonna be
the last time we were on the campus as students
so we finally celebrated finishing school
it felt so great but I didn't realize Gaard
how much I would really miss this campus life
so well you know what fun - because we've
been rehearsing the last couple of days for
the show and when we walk on campus you're
always showing me oh that's where I had a
class oh that's where I met some friends over
here so there's there's so many memories even
when you come back and between the communications
department pushes my major the athletic department
I played soccer and working back for University
of Washington here at UWTV it's been great
to be connected and I know so many people
feel that way and I love telling you about
all the new places and things and all the
great buildings that popped up on campus I
wish I could have graduated here I'm just
not that smart to get in well in the 159 year
history of the University of Washington there
has never been a graduation like this one
today and there probably was no graduation
ceremony back then like this one because graduating
classes consisted of just one woman back in
1867 her name was Clara Antonneter McCarty
Wilt and she graduated with a bachelor's degree
in science yeah McCarty Hall on the UW campus
up the road here is named after Clara and
you can imagine that student life was much
different back then of course than what it
is now with so many people on campus yeah
but again nothing like what's happening now
in 2020 the UW administrator who knows a lot
about that as vice president for a student
life Denzil Suite and welcome aboard Mr. Suite
how's everything going happy to be here oh
me too I'm, we're glad you're here
so tell us a little bit about I would imagine
that you never ever dreamed of that the UW
students would have to graduate like this
I I never did and you know we we know the
graduation is by far our favorite time of
the year and it represents the culmination
of the hard work of our of our students but
it also represents the collective effort of
all of us the faculty and staff who have helped
students are achieved this dream and so the
decision to go online certainly was a difficult
one but we think it was the right one given
the continued presence of covid 19 and the
lack of a vaccine and you know graduation
attracts 50 or 60,000 people in close proximity
including parents grandparents time's great-grandparents
so there really wasn't a way for us to to
do this safety but our commitment is for the
this class next year if they want to walk
in person they'll have the opportunity to
do so that's pretty cool and now I know you'll
go see a ton like the housing food services
activities recreational sports has it been
tough for those students have you talked to
them had conversations about what it really
means what happened right now and what's going
on yeah you know the best part of my job is
that I speak to students everyday and what
they tell us actually is that they have appreciated
the fact that we've continued to offer these
multiple ways of them being engaged with the
University because it recognizes the multi-dimensional
nature of the of their lives the alums similarly
tell us frequently as they reflect on their
college experience they really appreciated
the excellent in classroom education but they
also feel they learned as much as maybe at
times more from the experiences outside the
classrooms like becoming involved in clubs
and organizations interacting with individual
write with different backgrounds and and just
developing leadership skills that's so cool
well thank you Denzil Suite so much for being
here with us today and to help us make this
ceremony and tradition very special for everyone
my pleasure indeed thank you for having yeah
thank you so much for proud of everybody here
thank you alright today's graduates are facing
the same challenges to get their diplomas
as they did finishing up their classes yeah
the question was how to hold a traditional
UW commencement ceremony during a time of
social distancing seems a bit strange won't
let you go we are married so that's what we're
doing maths so we hope that today's commencement
ceremony will not only give everyone a feeling
of kind of togetherness and being there but
push the boundaries of Technology for this
first-of-a-kind virtual graduation so
here's a quick peek at the making of the little
some of the parts of how this program got
put together
yeah it really is amazing the amount of people that is taken to put this on and all these programmers and these social
media gurus that we have here at that you
double it's amazing I can't wait to see the
program that one is about an hour away the
procession yeah it's gonna be really neat
and different and cool to see everyone in
the same cap and gown actually so it's virtual
commencement day so for all those who are
graduating I want to know are you wearing
your cap and gown yeah and did you decorate
your mortarboard and most importantly did
you enter the cap decorating contest presented
by the UW daily I hope you did it's too late
to enter now but it's not too late to vote
for your favorite cap take a look at some
of the caps that many grads decorated for
today's ceremony it is just a great tradition
here and there are always some super creative
designs I mean look at all the look at how
it takes time to do this these are just absolutely
beautiful so all you have to do to vote is
just go to the DailyUW on Instagram and pick
your favorite cap may the best cap win and
I hear there are prizes again all you have
to do is go to the @DailyUW on instagram
to vote cool I love the one that said and
this is where it starts 2020 all right we
have much more to bring you this afternoon
before our UW commencement starts that's right
we told you this is the first time all three
UW campuses will participate in commencement
together we'll talk with chancellors from
both UW Bothell and Tacoma we'll also go
behind the scenes to show you how some super-secret
parts of today's ceremony were created we'll
hear from you dubs student-athlete who not
only had their senior year turned upside down
in the classroom but also missed their entire
sports season and for all those graduating
today will go back four years ago to your
very first day as a UW student and hear
what words of wisdom you received as a bright-eyed
teenager when the purple carpet continues
[Music]
I give my shout out to my family and
to my family here and to my husband yeah
shout out UW grads that's 2020 shout out UWT PC16 let's have a great future
[Music]
[ Cheering ]
[Music]
now message specifically is especially for
today's graduates today we will remember you
wherever you are do you remember where you
were though back on September 25th 2016 yeah
few years ago most Seattle students were at
an Alaska Airlines Arena for freshman convocation
and what's become a husky tradition let's
go back to that first day of college and a
warm welcome from Ed Taylor the vice provost
and Dean of undergraduate academic affair
you have done well parents grandparents brothers
sisters and loved ones here are a few things
about this incoming class that make you kind
of distinct over 43,000 applicants to the
University of Washington six thousand six
hundred and twenty eight or in your class
fifty-three percent of you are female 47 percent
of you are male that I don't know what that
means but that's just a fact your average
GPA like last year's incoming class three
point seven eight but that's not what got
you into the University of Washington it may
well have been how you treated your grandmother
how you treated your neighbor how you treated
your auntie or your teachers for that matter
like professor Janes you have some things
in common there are 68 Emily's in your class
but only one Emily right there in the corner
with that lovely pink hair from Charles Wright
Academy wave to him Emily there you are there
are 50 Sarah's there are 37 Emma's there are
35 Rachel's and one Elizabeth hacker camp
Elizabeth raise your hand yesterday I happen
to see you when the cleaners cleaning your
ROTC uniform because you're going to serve
Elizabeth thank you for serving and keep dancing
if you do say keep dancing proud parents at
least six Brooks but only one brookie from
Kirkland daughter of Keith and Monica is one
Xiao Qiang there's one Amira ray there was
one Noah in this group parents right behind
you welcome Noah fifty-eight Michael's 57
Andrews but only one Andrew who goes by Tiger
forty-one Ryan's 41 Daniels one Rodrigo and
one Yao in this class there are over 4,000
students from the state of Washington many
of you are close to home as I mentioned your
school feel free to applaud if I miss you
school feel free to frown at me and talk to
me afterwards 106 students from Newport 98
from Bothell 89 from Skyline 87 from Bellevue
73 from Issaquah 71 for inner lake one student
comes to us all clean from Soap Lake one from
zillow one from forks one from Neah Bay ten
Port Angeles kids join us 57 students from
Franklin joined 55 from Garfield you're no
longer rivals you are your brother and sisters
keepers now 57 from Davis High School in
Yakima Valley 46 and Federal Way high school
3 from Naches Valley High School three kids
from mossy Rock I met two of you through the
weekend I can't wait to meet the third 132
seven students from Spokane High School's
one from Chief Leschi and Puyallup 28 juanita
high school 28 chief self international 28
from Bainbridge High School four of you four
of you for home schools let's hear it for
the home schoolers you are from Seattle Central
College you've transferred you are from Bellevue
college you're from Green River Community
College let's hear it for our transfers yes
over over 700 of you and a whole bunch in
here from my home state of California one
piece of advice dude get an umbrella soon
get an umbrella so this one quacks me up over
100 students waddled across the Oregon border
and are now University of Washington Huskies
it's a special applause for the 15 bold and
brave who came in search of gold and purple
came from Pullman high school followed their
heart follow the beloved lights left Pullman
and are now Huskies one student from Sudan
run from Bangkok China over 500 students from
China 78 students from India one from Cameroon
from South Korea you're from Taiwan you're
from Malaysia 31 students said goodbye to
mom and dad at the koala Lumpur Airport and
made their way to Seattle 23 from Canada from
Thailand from Indonesia Singapore Saudi Arabia
11 students from Japan said goodbye to Grandma
on the Tokyo Airport and you're here
all right well we want to thank Ed Taylor vice provost
and Dean of academics he's always so cool
Gaard isn't he well you know what I like the
best about him because sometimes when you
think of college professors you might think
they're a little little sorry up a little
too much not all of them but he has so much
energy and he's exactly what he fits perfectly
with the UW yeah he's someone who you definitely
want to see when you first step on the campus
to campus to kind of calm your nerves because
it is a bit nerve-wracking it keeps everything
a little bit loose especially at graduation
yeah for sure well earlier we gave you a behind-the-scenes
look at how today's virtual graduation will
feature all three UW campuses this is the
first time ever that will have everyone combined
into one commencement ceremony yeah this is
pretty cool and in 1990 was a big year for
the UW because that's when both UW Bothell and
UW Tacoma were founded this is really cool stuff
we're excited to have the chancellor of UW
Tacoma with us today and we are so happy
here and this is Chancellor Mark Pagano
thank you for joining us on the purple carpet
thank you for having me so I have to ask you
this right out of the gate when you look back
at winter and you look back at spring did
you ever think we'd be going through this
kind of pandemic it's you know especially
with college students and now we're graduating
oh not not ever could you think this I was
thinking through that and if you sit down
for exercise to try to design the most Awkward
strange way to have the quarters I don't think
you could have dreamed this up yeah just crazy
and just such a huge impact though on everyone
and not only the UW Tacoma tell us about that
yes it was a really a big impact and I would
be lying if I didn't say it threw us for a
loop we weren't prepared for this obviously
so it happened very quickly and one of the
things we tried to do is just look to our
values what we were about in Tacoma and then
respond based on that we learn to do things
online very quickly and I asked our campus
we learned how to do a YouTube live streaming
video Town Hall and it did that and I asked
for campus don't worry about the things you
can't control yeah worry about the things
you can control and one thing I used to tell
my son when he was freaking out going to kindergarten
is just think about the next few minutes and
then the next hour right today we'll take
care of one thing at a time if you think through
the whole thing you'll drive yourself nuts
and when you think how nutty and crazy and
all the weirdness with the pandemic and especially
now here at the University of Washington in
Tacoma and Bothell it's still it's still special
don't you think for all three campuses oh
it is special it's and it's because of the
people you know our campus was founded I like
to say our campus was founded by the community
it's of the community and for the community
of the South Puget Sound were there for them
so it's been special to be able to help our
community and to see how the community stepped
up and helped our students get through this
we're all in this together like the president
says together we will yeah yeah for sure and
this is a really fun day for you not only
because we're bringing everyone together we
can hear some of the cheers around now and
as the rain comes down but what makes this
extremely special for you well I think I know
we're referring to but my stepson is graduating
today - oh no no ever since we moved to Tacoma
in 2015 my wife and I have really been looking
forward to him finishing at UW Tacoma and
me personally handing him his diploma and
you know that's not happening today on the
ceremony there listening and Kelly and Roman
are there so family Roman for listening in
but we're gonna do it in our front yard I'm
actually going to keep my stuff on and we're
gonna go home and we're gonna have a another
commencement in our front yard even if it's
rain your whole family for yeah no problem
there is so many watch parties so you're saying
hi to everyone around the world you'll hear more r from the Chancellor a little bit later
during the ceremony so if you want to see
him just stay tuned and so although this will
be the first combined ceremonies and the first
virtual commencement one thing still remains
consistent Gaard and that is how proud the
Husky tradition is take a look graduation
Graduation history runs deep back in 1861 the UW was
known then as the territorial university of
washington graduation was the goal recruiting
students was a bigger challenge there were
no students no no really no college level
students the first president of the university
asa mercer hired a couple of Indians got
in a canoe and canoed up and down Puget Sound
from Bellingham to Olympia visiting logging
camps to get students it's sort of symbolic
of that idea of you of setting a star high
goal you know for the graduates I think we
have a university here and the most unlikely
of circumstances six month into the civil
war that here it is the school struggled at
first closing three times but 15 years later
with the courage and strength of founding
members the UW had its first graduate Clara
Antoinette McCarty wilt earning a bachelor's
degree in science we don't know what the ratings
are and the UW has graduated a myriad of celebrities
in 1995 Joel McHale star of NBC's community
and the host of the soup on the e network
earned a bachelor's degree in history and
later a master's in acting and let's not forget
about Tom Foley former Speaker of the House
or what about musician Kenny G
[Music]
well
there's a lot of tradition packed in tonight
a hundred and fifty nine years of this great
institution in Seattle and that next year
marks the 20th anniversary of the UW campus
on the east side of Lake Washington so well
you know did you know there are announced
some 6,000 students attending college at UW
Bothell Gaard I did not know that all right
well the man who oversees this growing campus
and it's 55 degree programs as Chancellor
Wolf Yeigh and we'd like to welcome you today
for being here with us we're in a tent it's
it's nice for social distancing if you
like to talk to you so thanks Erin yeah so
let's talk a little bit about you being the
Chancellor how difficult was it for you and
your campus this year with this pandemic that's
going on continually well you know this has
been a really really difficult year for everyone
especially our graduating seniors and but
through it all they you know they they persevered
and they made things happen they got through
a very difficult Spring Quarter when and also
they work to bring the celebration out rather
than you be hampered by the pandemic and now
we are students but our faculty and staff
we made this happen also I know they're exhausted
but this is a moment of celebration and we're
really grateful for that that's why you've
been thinking about what what's the message
that you kind of relayed to them first when
they're starting and then is there a silver
lining throughout all this at the end well
you know we are going to have our in-person
walk graduation next year for our class of
2020 but you know let's take a moment to recognize
our achievements of our students and those
who help them get to where they are now and
so taking a moment to enjoy and we'll have
our pomp and circumstance in a formal pretty
person way next year and that's what we would
get to wait for yeah we have about 20 seconds
I know you're you are proud of everybody down
at your University and I think it's just incredible
tell me why in a nutshell why you're so proud
of everyone you know we Gaard we have a very
diverse class and we have students who have
overcome so much in their in their four years
at UW Bothell and just being able to get through
mm-hmm and especially when you have this pandemic
monkey wrench thrown at it at you know in
your last quarter last year right and overcoming
that it's a tremendous achievement so to UW
Bothell students to our faculty our staff
congratulations this is your day and thank
you for what you have accomplished and we're
really really proud of you Thank You Chancellor
and everyone is proud of you because you said
a monkey wrench and you've handled it like
a true professional and I'm sure everyone
is proud of you as well thank you we appreciate
you being here today thanks so much yeah well
I had today well hear from the UW Alumni
Association they have a very special gift
for today's graduates plus what happens to
your graduation gown after today we'll tell
you how to go green and recycle it yeah it's
a pretty cool story so stay tuned for that
the Husky band will join us for a virtual you
dope fight song that's pretty cool it's something
you don't want to miss and we'll be right
back with more purple carpet after we take
a look at some of the watch parties and celebrations
around the world
[Music]
I just want to say thank you too all of my friends and family
especially ones who weren't able to come out but I wanted to say that i feel all your love and support
all the same thank you so much for everything you've been able to give me thank you
i'd like to give a shout out to my wonderful wife Deborah and my advisor Patrick Tobin and staff and leadership
at the UW botanic gardens
[ Music ]
oh hi everybody welcome back to commencement
2020 and our purple carpet program yeah it's
been a fun day so far here virtually and if
you can remember Gaard the first purple
carpet was way back we say way back in 2014
we named it because we wanted to kind of be
that kind of special red carpet show but of
course we're all purple here at the UW yeah
in fact normally we have a purple carpet on
our set just to make us all feel like we're
at home but that purple carpet is now over
at the virtual side over here about a hundred
yards from us all right let's switch it up
a little bit now today's students have called
the UW home for at least four years and many
of you watching today are still calling home
because the UW has one of the top alumni associations
in the country we had the opportunity to talk
with the head of the UWAA and hear about
a special surprise for today's grads UWAA
executive director Paul Rucker thank you so
much for being here with us today so thank
you it's a pleasure yeah for sure what is
your message today to all the UW graduates
who had a senior year that's been like no
other it's been somewhat lost but we're still
here we are still here just like the university's
been here for over 150 years just a warm welcome
to the tremendous graduates of the class of
2020 we couldn't be more proud to welcome
them into the Alumni family hey let me ask
you this the UWAA numbers are big I did
read somewhere that seventy-five percent of
graduates here at the UW actually stay in
state and that certainly has to help your
membership right it is this extraordinary
we've got a half a million graduates of the
University and about 75% of right here in
the state of Washington and beyond that we've
just got such a vibrant membership community
about 60,000 members in this class of 2020
over 6,000 of them to join the Association
and we're just thrilled and you know what
I like about a time like this is even though
it is tough times out there difficult situations
people are still pulling together and that's
kind of what the University of Washington
does to be purple and gold but we understand
that you also have a gift from the Union waa
to all the grad it's today that's right for
every graduating student of the class of 2020
we've got a complimentary gift membership
in the Alumni Association students just need
to go online and opt in we're seeing thousands
of students do it and we're just so excited
to welcome them into the family hey before
we go let me ask you this question what are
you most proud about when you look at your
members they're all they're all Huskies they're
all doing greatest anxiety and in the community
what what are you most proud about you know
I think what I'm most proud about is the impact
that our graduates make not just locally but
across the world it's really the local roots
and global reach the values the skills the
ways that our graduates contribute to society
it's just remarkable to see the impact at
the University of Washington well it's just
such a cool thing I know I'm an alumni and
I love the connection and right when you get
out you feel like it's not a hard stop you're
still a husky for life but we appreciate you
being the executive director of the UWAA and
joining us today because it's just a thrill
to kind of have the purple and gold still
run through my thank you so much for joining
us Paul you bet take care of go Huskies go
Dawgs I love that guys so much energy  rocking
it good as husky colors the purple on him
and he's just such a good person any museum
I says go Huskies right oh yeah for sure all
right moving on for all of you graduates watching
today one thing is certain by the end of today
you'll all become UW alumni well which
is true it's a true testament to all the hard
work and dedication long hours that you lived
through during your career as a college student
it's tough but so what's next yeah for all
of you for that we spent some time earlier
with a group of UW graduates who are all ready
to share some of their wisdom joining us now
are two alumni of the Year winners from UW Bothell
and a former alumni of the year from UW Tacoma
who was joined by her son who just so happens
to be graduating today what a cool thing Philma
Marie Fontanella if we can start with you
when did you graduate from UW Tacoma 2007
okay so not too long ago but just enough time
so why don't you tell us what made you to
decide to attend UW Tacoma and with a son
graduating you're still involved with him
aren't you I would hope so I I attended UW
Tacoma because at that time you'd have Tacoma
was a upperclassman campus I was transferring
from Pierce College and looking to enter the
field I did I was split between entering in
the sciences or education but I also liked
the location have you have Tacoma being in
the middle of a city yeah and an opportunity
to learn more about where I live because I've
lived here most of my life but never really
got to explore what downtown Tacoma was like
and it was um I appreciated like a lot of
the architecture of the buildings in the history
that came in there so it was a great experience
yeah it really is a cool campus all right
let's go to Jaylin now you're gonna graduate
today did have him as an alumnus help with
your school choice I'm sure she was prodding
a little bit right oh absolutely she was mentioning
earlier she used to work for the College Success
foundation so I grew up around high school
and college students all the time it was an
environment I was pretty well accustomed to
so kind of following her footsteps didn't
seem seem too crazy it's kind of a no-brainer
for me what does it feel like just to be a
husky you are a husky for life my friend man
it's pretty awesome it's crazy because a lot
of my friends are actually cougs but okay
you know I gotta represent still no that's
great oh that's good and Philma you're the current
alumni of the year congratulations I'm shocked
it's really hard for me there I don't know
um I guess that's great because it's a legacy
for my family I'm obviously to have my son
there but it keeps me connected to my local
roots so yeah thank you it's a special bond
all around that's real cool so let's turn
to Priya and David from UW Bothell you both
graduated in 2011 and are now alumni of the
year for this year so start with you Frank
let's tell us about the connection between
you and David Priya yes so David and I went
we're in the cohort together which was awesome
and actually afterwards we did a couple of
different projects in the community together
I curated art at a lounge in the University
District called lucid and David was the first
artist that I worked with a some time and
we did a pop-up art show with his photography
which to this day is still so near and dear
to my heart so that's so cool I call you three
or Frank I got two names in there oh yeah
absolutely well David what does it mean to
you to be chosen for this alumni of the year
oh it's a huge honour and though it was just
a big surprise and it you know UW Bothell is like a nice welcoming family and so it's just
sort of a nice recognition to know that I'm
still connected and they still know that I
exist and I'm part of the family oh yeah that
is so sweet all right as alumni what message
do each of you want to send to the graduates
today and Philma let's start with you one
once your husky you're always a husky and
second I think it's always important to stand
up for others and represent the hardships
that others sacrificed for us to get here
so the legacy of being a husky is important
and we gotta keep going yeah for sure how
about you Priya um I would say that being
able to carry on in the footsteps of those
that came before us and to really honor incredible
leaders in the community around equity and
social justice and I think that you know Bothell
really centers those values as well and so
to be able to hold on to those no matter what
your path takes you I think being able to
center yourself and to continue fighting for
equity and social justice from whatever you
know place you're at is essential to the work
and essential to what it means to be a husky
all right let's go to you David what are your
thoughts my message would just be to find
your passion and stick with it and you might
not know what it is right now or you might
not know next year but take your time and
stick with that and I would also say black
lives matter absolutely especially right now
no question about it well how about you Jalen
yeah well it was a great question I just wanted
to it remind me of a Black Student Union event
where I introduced a theme of juxtaposition
and all that really means is just to be something
else than what people would assume you are
what you look like so just like what David
said that black lives matter any people of
color just try to redefine what people want
to put these titles on you just try to redefine
yourself don't let people judge you and put
these ramifications on you that end up dictating
your life and where you want to go so me myself
I just try to read redefine myself every day
there is no definition for being black anybody
who's black can make that definition themselves
yeah I just keep pushing forward and make
a better future for all of us yes such great
points we're also proud of you for and the
rest of the graduates today thank you yeah
make it better I think that hits everybody
doesn't it it for sure does and it was great
to talk to them and hear their stories and
the connection oh yeah a great group of people
well it is no secret that the University of
Washington is the leader in sustainability
but did you know that going green is a big
part of today's commencement I didn't know
that until we did a story on this this is
a really cool ceremony gown which everyone
will be wearing but yes it's for the graduates
and they'll have it on it will be really cool
but you don't know what makes it green what
makes it green yes they're all made from plastic
bottles collected from right here at the UW
the plastic is shredded washed and converted
into fibers and then those fibers they become
material that the UW commencement gowns are
created from it's a pretty cool experience
to see how these are made it's the best news
is that the graduation is over the gowns you
know you don't have to hang them up in your
closet you can drop them into a recycling
container and they can be recycled all over
again to start the process yeah and when you
actually feel this if it's comfortable it
feels like it's breathable it's soft it's
like a plastic bottle yeah I feel like I still
might have mine mine's not recyclable but
who knows we'll see well Washington's governor
has a message and congratulations for all
it today's graduates that's still ahead and
coming our way plus Gaard will go behind the
scenes for an inside look at how Dubs will
be included in this commencement there's Dubs
right there and what's this are you kidding
me sports highlights on grad day we're gonna
meet two husky student athletes who represent
a ton of athletes who never got to play this
year more purple carpet is just ahead on commencement
day 2020
[Music]
just thank you to all my
family my mom for being one of my biggest
supporters all the faculty at UWT all the
friends that I made a long my journey at UWT I appreciate them all and we're all a part
of my family thank you so much for being there
for me I appreciate it
[Music]
[ Cheering ]
[ Music ]
Governor Jay Inslee here hey here's a big
congratulations to everyone in the class of
2020 I know a virtual ceremony probably isn't
how you pictured this day but you're the first
class to do this in Washington State history
and I'd like to say how proud I am of you
as are your families and your teachers and
your principles and your professors you've
displayed incredible flexibility and dedication
and you've shown rock-solid resilience that's
going to come in real handy for you in the
years to come because you've shown you've
got what it takes you've also helped save
lives across our state so enjoy this day and
always remember what your mom told you wash
your hands
By the way a husky grad I might
add yeah yeah all right with graduates watching
from six continents the Office of Ceremonies
wanted to remind us we're all part of this
and we're all part of the community and that's
just what happened so when commencement begins
you'll be treated to a magical open thanks
to our very own Dubs and a team of animators here's a sneak peek for you
[Music]
we would
not be able to make this piece we're making probably
15 years ago 20 years ago you know it could
only be done nowadays I mean this kind of
an unprecedented amazing situation graduation
is a big deal so we came up with a concept
that will show connection and unity even all
these people are spread out all over the world
so we knew that we had access to Dubs and
we could film him yeah a little shout out
to Dubs' lead trainer Annalise it was
a really fun process once we get boarded it
out and we kind of had a basic idea of what
some of those actions are gonna be we sort
of knew what we're kind of going for try some
the actions let's see what happens there we'll
just watch then we work with Annalise and we
have these sort of zoom training sessions
where just like this on zoom we'll watch Annalise
kind of try some of the different things out
with Dubs amazing and so we would kind of work
out which kind of motions Dubs actually can
do and then sort of adjust our storytelling
based on what we learned from that and then
we did a shoot the end of the day it will
just bring a smile to everyone's face and
then we have yes CGI animation so our CG animators
bring it to life in a 3D space we see how
the entire community is still connected even
though everyone's spread throughout the globe
we really want that feeling of unity and connectivity
community to come through that a community
is bigger than just a physical plant that
everybody said and Dubs is amazing and can do
probably better trained than any dog down
here in Hollywood that we've ever worked with
I was just say that
[ Music ]
you gotta love Dubs
so what is Dubs doing today he's actually
having his own commencement watch party this
afternoon yeah we had a chance to talk with
Team Dubs a little earlier today so let's
get right into that and take a look
Thank you so much for being with us today this is so cool
to have Dubs on not only Dubs but you guys
and Annalise what kind of want to start with
you since you're the trainer
absolutely so
my name is Annalise Nelson I'm a UW grad
of 2014 and I am the trainer and organizer
of the student handlers yeah and then Sonya
hi I'm Sonya and I am graduating today with
my bachelor's degree in education
I'm Riley
I'm also graduating today with my bachelor's
in business
and I'm Kristen and I'm graduating
today with my master's in architecture Wow
so nice to have you guys on board so tell
me a little bit about this dog his personality
he is so cute
he is so much fun to be around
he always just lights up a room everyone loves
him one of my favorite things about Dub's
is how how many smiles he brings so anywhere
on the field everyone's like following us
and loves to take pictures with him and say
hi and it's just just always fun to bring
joy to everybody you know speaking of making
everyone smile he's making a smile and I can
only assume that it helps get you through
your college days during the hard times can
he talk to us today
do you think Dubs knows when it's like when
it's game time it's crunch time he's got to
start performing especially like at an Apple
Cup anytime we go down the tunnel towards
the field he just picks up the pace and we
are he's pulling us and we're going especially
when we get ready to run the football team
out of the tunnel he is Heights he knows that
that's his spot and that's his moment so that
is so nice so cool and Dubs is the 14th
live mascot and he's Dubs number two right
correct all right thank you so much for joining
us ladies and a he's having its own party
his own watch party I guess we could call
it a watchdog party right here at the University
of Washington yeah the UW would not be the
same if Dubs wasn't a part of it right this
mascot across the world yeah all right we're
just a few minutes away from the start of
the 2020 UW commencement ceremony and as we
have been telling you today is the first ever
virtual graduation but not everyone will be
coming to you from a computer screen Gaard
we're joined now by UW President Ana Mari
Cauce say live with us here in person you've
been here every year with us and absolutely
this is just a great experience I would not
have missed it that's right first year well
first tell us you know you already have a
lot to deal with as being the president of
a big university system how about this whole
pandemic what's going on in the world right
now and managing all this to make this happen
today well it's been a year like no other
that is unquestionable but we have not only
the very best mascot we have we have the very
best faculty staff and students in the country
we have faculty staff and students that are
leading the fight against covid it is hard
to turn on the TV set and not see a UW expert
on the TV we also have faculty staff and students
that are on the front line of working on the
racial pandemic and the racial strife that
we've had in this country for much too long
and the university absolutely has a commitment
to be a leader in fighting both you know I'm
glad you said that president because I watch
a lot of CNN MSNBC I'll switch it over to
Fox News and it doesn't matter what side you
are on this pandemic UW is always right in
the middle of it and I love when I turn on
the television I see a you do professor explaining
very difficult topics in layman's terms and
that is very difficult to do and that certainly
has to make you proud knowing that the UW
is front and center for the globe on this
thing well it's interesting about five years
ago everyone was calling on me to have a vision
statement and you know a lot of them are about
that long and I came up with a very simple
vision I want us to be the very top public
university in the world in terms of impact
and what that means is taking these this very
basic research it's very hard to understand
that sometimes seems very far away like how
could this possibly be useful we all sat in
calculus class and wondered and now we're
reading exponential curves you know how could
you take this knowledge across this university
across so many disciplines put it together
and make a difference in the world and right
now you're seeing how we have impact well
you are making a difference in the world with
the UW and the technology and everything that's
gone on here was there ever question your
mind with this technology now we're going
virtual that commencement may not happen did
that run across your mind sure I mean I'll
be honest from day to day I don't know whether
tomorrow's gonna happen everybody feels that
way we go forward and we plan and when it's
there we keep on going you are doing a terrific
job here at the UW the Huskies are lucky to
have you I'm lucky this is my home and I love
every part of my job Ana Mari Cauce president
thank you so much for being with your each
and every year and making this the coolest
experience to be virtually live first time
ever yeah thank you definitely six feet apart
right you that it's not too late to vote for
the most creative graduation cap design I
love this part of it the contest is presented
by the UW Daily and it is one of the greatest
traditions to decorate your cap look at all
what they say Gaard it has some great little
quotes and sayings and thank you to mom and
dad these are just some of the designs that
have been submitted and you can vote you can
just go to the DailyUW on Instagram and pick
your favorite cap the winner just might be
you oh man that's that's a tough one there's
too many great ones out there I think so much
time and effort they're all winners to me
you all right all right coming up there are
the students who also managed bean NCAA athletes
today is graduation day for dozens of UW team
members we're going to meet two of those coming
up in just a and what would athletes view
without the Husky band right a zoom video
performance like no other is coming up as
we countdown to commencement here on the purple
carpet
[Music]
shoutout to my mom, my dad, my brother
I wanna thank you my family
especially for my husband he gave me 
a lot of support to finish up these degrees
and I'm really proud to be UW husky
[Music]
[ Cheering ]
[ Music ]
[ Husky Band Music }
we have
talked about what a strange and stressful
spring it has been for UW students they
had no in person classes and in most cases
they haven't even been on campus in three
months and I can't even imagine that if you're
a husky as student athlete it may be even
a little worse every winter and spring sport
had it season canceled and for many athletes
that meant never playing another college game
again and two of those athletes are UW
baseball player Nick Roberts and UW
softball player Kaia Gibson and thanks to
both of you for joining us today you're both
wearing your commencement cap and gowns gotta
love that kind of let's start with you and
tell us about your major in your career in
your plans so I'm an education major it's
education communities and organizations and
I'm actually going to spend another here another
year here at the University of Washington
I'm getting my masters and playing another
softball season that's cool I got a love to
hear that especially under coach R so that's
a really cool thing for you yeah all right
let's switch it over to Nick what is your
degree Nick and what's gonna be next for you
hey guys thank you for having me but my degree
at the University of Washington is in communications
unfortunately thought about it with my family
talked about it with friends and family I've
decided to end my career at UW and kind of
move on to the working world I'm excited I've
learned so many life skills tools that our
coaches taught us and I'm gonna try to apply
them as much as I can to the real world I'm
excited well I know you're being as positive
as possible man losing your senior year of
baseball on top of it and of course all that
uncertainty about missing class and what you're
gonna what's happening in your life I feel
really bad for you Nick so I can't imagine
what's going through your mind you play baseball
your entire life and then all of a sudden
the big year your big senior year and you
don't get to play that's really got to hurt
a little bit I mean everybody everybody's
waiting for that time in their life or they
they call it quits and I think it's a right
time for me I got I've built so many relationships
over the past four years that I better unbeaten
I would not trade any of them in for anything
so I'm happy I'm positive and I'm I'm ready
I think just being a student-athlete Nick
and landing out of the UW you'll do okay especially
with all those connections it seems like athletes
always seem to find their way back in and
now kaya your situation is just a little bit
different because you're actually graduating
you have the whole cap and gown and everything
but you get to play another season at UW so
tell us about that yeah I'm super excited
a little bit with Coach Tarr and my family
and we just decided like it was pretty easy
I mean I love my team and I love everything
about Husky softball and about the University
and this education that I get to get so it's
a wonderful opportunity and I yeah for sure
well what do you think you learned though
in the past few months because you may not
have ever thought about what times like these
could be that we're living through it's so
different and new for everyone talk to us
about that well I've been learning how to do
some things that I haven't really had time to learn one of those is cooking
it sucks overall but i'm learning how to do so many things that i need to learn how to do
after softballs over so I learned how to cook some pasta dishes
some meat dishes so I'm really excited to continue to learn how to cook
i have to ask you, you said possible what's your favorite
recipe
I really like making linguine with sausage and mushrooms in it like a balsamic sauce over it
that's really cool we haven't we have a 13
year old son we're married and he's in
a teen cooking classes they do every week
so we get cooking from our little kids so
that's kind of a cool thing it seems everybody's
doing that alright let's get back to you for
a second what would you tell your teammates
or what are you going to tell your teammates
now that your you made the decision to retire
from UW all I could say is just thank you
to them they they've made my time that you
dug so so happy and so many great memories
I can remember and it's I all I could say
just thank you to them and everything they
given me well we are so proud of you Erin
and I and our whole crew here and all
the UW people we love you guys and man you
get through a lot and we proud of you I just
want to say one thing I want to say bleed
purple and be gold when you're out there
in the workforce you guys got this in your
husky's for life thank you thank you sure
congratulations again guys on your degrees
and you know being a husky is man it just
feels good don't ya for sure good luck thank
you wow those two are the epitome of what
it's like to be a student athlete and you
face adversity and you just get through it
they did a great job yeah there'll be better
people once they get on the other side they're
right for sure all right well we want to remind
you that we are gonna be part of the commencement
celebration that's going to be coming up the
processional in just a few minutes so stay
with us here we will be doing kind of the
play-by-play of UWs graduation virtually
for the first time ever in the history of
Husky that is a live shot of the incredible
columns here at the University of Washington
thank you so much for joining us here on the
145th annual ceremony the purple carpet show
but more of husky nation coming up next
[Music]
graduates and guests welcome to the University
of Washington's one hundred and forty fifth
commencement ceremony honoring the graduating
class of 2020
[Music]
now entering are candidates
for the various doctoral and professional
degrees carrying the gonfalons for the graduate
school are Tim Brown and Dantzel Cenatiempo
Tim is receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in
philosophy Dantzel is receiving a Doctor
of Philosophy in French studies carrying the
gonfalon for the School of Pharmacy is Marissa
Robin Craig Marissa is receiving a doctor
of pharmacy degree carrying the gonfalon for
the School of Dentistry is Tiffany Do Tiffany
is graduating today with a Doctor of Dental
Surgery
[Music]
it was the only place to find so we wanted
to ask about what exists it only makes sense
of it he says he chose the University of Washington
because of the adventurous folks in the philosophy
philosophy department and took a few philosophy
classes and they were so amazing to kind of
talk through what's out there and what's going
on we also hearing from Dantzel and he's from
Lake Stevens so he is homegrown from right
here in the backyard of the University of
Washington he's getting this master's degree
and said he's continued and completed a PhD
in French studies focused on fashion and gender
sexuality so interesting folks moving through
here today and when you think of the University
of Washington Erin you know you of course
you have engineering and you have the nursing
school which really comes to light because
when you think of all the doctors and the
nurses and all the the the care providers
that have graduated from the University of
Washington many of those folks are on the
frontlines of fighting this this horrible
virus this covid 19 virus and I'm just
so proud of them and I'm sure so many Huskies
are proud of them as well yeah for sure and
they announced Marissa Craig and she's she's
from here too in the backyard Redmond she's
a doctor of pharmacy so when you talk about
being in the medical field the University
of Washington is producing so much content
and information especially during this time
of the corona virus and covid 19 kind of taking
over our whole world and making it different
for graduations like this to be online
candidates
for the various master's degrees are now entering
carrying the gonfalon for the Graduate School
our Brian J Evans and Tasha Lin Brian is receiving
a Master of Fine Arts in dance Tasha is receiving
a Master of Science in information management
[Music]
well Brian Evans is from Gaylord Minnesota
and he said the dance MFA program was exactly
what he was looking for the program that supported
mid-career artists transformational to the
transformation to the professor and that's
the one of the reasons he came here and why
he picked the UW to go to school and Tasha Lin
she's the graduate master's degree in information
management and she was born and raised in
Toronto Canada she wanted to pursue a masters
and information management to learn how technology
can create unintended consequences so she
chose this school because of those reasons
and knew that the University of Washington
would be a good fit for her she's able to
take courses and many other schools including
in sociology urban planning and law mm-hmm
and how about Zola Wallacea from Seattle Washington
she says quote I was born and raised in Johannesburg
South Africa I wanted to align my intellectual
curiosity with passion UW offered an
LLM that was that could bring me together
with my passion for development and empowers
me with professional skills and inspires me
to do better and we're taking a look at those
columns right there as we mentioned earlier
in purple carpet show that we had leading
up to this Gaard you made kind of a comment
about those columns and and how we are running
through and how the university president Matthew
Lyle Spencer banned kissing on campus back
in 1929 because he we're seeing a couple spooning
and kind of congregating together and hanging
out so he decided to ban that that's an interesting
time back then and and not so much flying
now but yes these students have first come
in through these columns when they came in
as freshmen they heard from vice provost and
Dean Dean Taylor there who talked to him when
they first came in we heard some of that earlier
today and those columns mean so much to the
graduation and the heritage of this rich University
who carries such a spirit through this we're
going to continue of course to hear more about
what's going on with this virtual graduation
and some of the leaders that are going through
the gonfalonierres today yeah how about Lila
Fall Hebert from Seattle Washington College
of Arts and Sciences she is a neuroscience
major she says the quote I grew up in Vietnam
but went to high school in a small Washington town carrying the gonfalon for the School of Law
is Zola Valashiya Zola's receiving a Master
of Laws in sustainable international development
[ Music ]
all right like we said that she was born in
South Africa and she wanted a line her intellectual
curiosity with passion so UW offered
that for her and the LLM the sustainable inter
International Development Program she was
passionate about it and she wanted to empower
herself and others with the professional skills
and and what UW had to offer to become
a better speaker a better leader a better
person
[Music]
Tayler Victoria Halverson College
of Arts and Sciences she says though I am
originally from West Seattle I spent most
of my formative pre-college years in Oak Harbor
up on Whidbey Island I feel very much like
UW picked me once I stepped foot on campus
for the first time I couldn't imagine myself
anywhere else and Taylor I think a lot of
people feel that way and we want to remind
you that this is the hundred and forty fifth
annual commencement ceremony at the University
of Washington it's a little different this
year if you're just tuning in welcome in from
wherever you are whether it's South Africa
Australia around the world we are seeing folks
join in online from all over and it's been
a very unique experience Gaard we've talked
to so many people in this world today it's
just such a different time and at one time
we thought maybe we weren't gonna have this
ceremony happen but we are oh yeah and I think
we even heard the president of the university
president Cauce say when were you asked her
hey did you ever think that this may not happen
this commencement and she said yes absolutely
and then she looks at all the professionals
from UW television and the production staff
here I mean I counted ten tents when we did
our show before the procession but it is just
incredible how many people just pick up the
ball and start to run with it at the University
of Washington especially with all the department
can you think of all the different kinds of
graduations in the curriculum here it's so
diverse it really is a special place to go
to school well it's just so unique and folks
all around the country talk about the University
of Washington just not only for how cool it
is right purple and gold from the Athletics
programs to the science programs to the medical
program in the field and what they're doing
today with this pandemic and what's going
on with the coronavirus around the world in
covid 19 a lot of organizations a lot of health
industry professionals leaning towards the
University of Washington to really look into
what these scientists here are looking at
they're manipulating numbers trying to see
where everything fits checking the curves
trying to keep us safe in a time carrying the
gonfalon for the Evans School of Public Policy
and governments as Jenny Six Jenny
is receiving a Master of Public Administration
well Gaard you know Jenny's she's from Chicago
and she chose Evans school to study public
finance and policy administration which is
cool she had the opportunity to work with
some amazing colleagues through her curriculum
advocacy team which is cool Evans people of
color that's called EPOC she's a student ambassador
and her teaching aspires a lot of people out
there and she's with the city of Seattle's
Department of Finance and administrative services
[Music]
this is such a special ceremony
Gaard you know graduating virtually is so
much different everyone's used to packing
in the Husky Stadium and and now we're making
it happen this way and I think almost selfishly
some parents are happy about this because
they get to see their kids if they're you
know out of South Africa or a different country
right no I know it is super special but there
is something and I don't mean to be negative
on this but that there is something special
about walking into the stadium because forty
to fifty thousand people will show up friends
and family members and the graduates thousands
of them just filling the the football field
and it really is something special but this
one as you mentioned there and this one is
also super special because I think in 50 years
from 50 years from now people are gonna go
oh I remember that boy they did a great job
with that procession virtually yeah they did
[Music]
ladies and gentlemen candidates for
bachelor's degrees in the College of Arts
and Sciences including Bachelor of Arts Bachelor
of Science Bachelor of Design Bachelor of
Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music are now entering
carrying the first of six gonfalons for the
College of Arts and Sciences is Lila Faulhaber
who is receiving a Bachelor of Science
in neuroscience Lila grew up in Vietnam but
she went to a high school in a small Western
Washington town up north right near the Canadian
border called Blaine she chose UW because
it was offered the growth and opportunities
that she wanted coming out of a small town
and she found her passion at neuroscience
and educational outreach hse's on the annual
Dean's list great Matters journals the dream
project she was she a very how should I say
this a woman who knows exactly what she wants
to do and it shows because she is doing a
lot oh yeah she's the hall health student
health navigator super involved in not only
her academics but being connected to these
students and totally motivated to I mean I'm
looking at what she has accomplished here
at the UW it it's a myriad of things
so Lila you're doing a terrific job at congratulations
for today yeah and we do want to mention that
you know there are so many graduates and right
now we have I think over 6700 participating
virtually every year so many approximately
40% of all bachelor's degrees 60 percent 4%
or master's degree we continue to see these
numbers among Washington College public institutions
that represent so there is so much to think
about and as you mentioned earlier Gaard there
are 75 percent of UW graduates remain in this
state after graduation I know that I had a
couple husky soccer players with me they were
out of California and they took jobs here
and they stayed here maybe their parents weren't
so it's they don't come back home to the Bay
Area or Southern California but it's a great
place to live and grow up and have a family
and really stay connected to your roots and
when you look at all the undergrads and the
upper grads they are 70% are from the state
right here in Washington so all of them wanted
to stay home carrying the second gonfalon
for the College of Arts and Sciences is Taylor
Halverson was receiving a Bachelor of Arts
in Scandinavian area studies and communication
yeah Erin this is I read her little bio and
what she said and I loved it at the end when
she said once I stepped foot on campus for
the first time I could not imagine myself
anywhere else and I think a lot of people
feel that way the second you're on campus you
don't need to be recruited if you can get
it it's a little bit difficult to get in but
if you have the grace to get in they don't
even have to sell you on the campus because
it's absolutely stunning here Oh Taylor says
she's done so many things but she's had the
opportunity to do many things during her time
at UW but she's most proud of her work of
the programming intern with the ASUW queer
student commission a performer in the 2018
playwright for check this sh.. out
I'm sure her family is very proud of her today
along with so many other family members and
friends and one thing I think that happens
across probably the nation the world is people
really connect through these graduations and
brings you back to times where we may have
graduated quite a bit ago but just hearing
some of these students and athletes and the
president and deans and chancellors talking
about what it means and how influential these
kids are to the future of what we have here
in America and the world and where they're
gonna go become scientists doctors technicians
programmers and and I think sometimes when
you graduate at least for me I've thought
well what is this UW or what is this San Diego
State thing gonna really have an impact on
me because sometimes you don't think it does
until you get a little bit older down the
line you think oh my gosh I learned so much
at that UW now it's all starting to make sense
so sometimes for a lot of students and graduates
it takes a little bit of time but man the
UW sets you up for life and you don't realize
the tools until you're out for a while that
you've received
candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences
continue to enter led by gonfalonierre Kathalina
Rose Hoffman who's receiving a Bachelor of
Arts in American Indian studies well that's
pretty cool she grew up in Olympia Washington
and she picked UW because it was all
it always had been her dream school like a
lot of people her dad went there before her
and she grew up going to all the football
games boy it wasn't oh for sure my dad had
season tickets for almost 41 years and he
would go with his grandfather it was a traditional
day where they dropped me up off from 25th
right up the road from you village and I would
stay with my grandmother while my dad and
my grandfather went to the games and I just
thought if I could get to one of those games
with him when I get old enough it would be
the coolest thing that I've ever seen and
when I finally did go and the noise came out
of that stadium it was immeasurable it was
so loud it's like one of the loudest stadiums
in the country yeah back in 1992 a hundred
and thirty episodes against Nebraska actually
Erin this is how old I am I was at that game
I was at that game too and I remember how
loud that was when I should actually say I
covered that game as a waitress at a bar on
the University Avenue and I remember all the
Nebraska fans came up because we set up a
buffet not one husky fan came in and those
Nebraska fans were actually great and they
surely gave super tips I think I was there
for 15 hours serving those guys and it was
a fun thing thinking was Nebraska coming back
to play again yeah for sure they did put some
money in my pocket and I didn't want to mention
that back in 1981 did you know the wave was
invented and conceived at the University of
Washington I did not know that's a cool thing
throughout the stadium and everybody uses
it around the country around the world the
UW is so diverse right for sure they're on
on the world spectrum
[Music]
all right well
we want to thank everyone for joining us today
we know some of you are just tuning in while
others have been with us for a while we had
a purple carpet show before that's kind of
the red carpet leading up to the graduation
and we've just really enjoyed speaking with
everyone today and really connecting it with
a lot of people wish we had time to kind of
put in more more interviews and an audio from
other people but we're gonna continue to listen
hear as everyone gets announced and hear the
gonfalon of their programs and degrees carrying
the 4th gonfalon for the College of Arts and
Sciences is Feiyang Liu who is graduating
with a Bachelor of Science in applied and
computational mathematics science data science
and statistics and a Bachelor of Arts in land
here's what Liu said he says quote I am from
China I decided to study at UW primary because
of my great impression of Chief Seattle speech
that I learned in primary school I majored
in a CMS and Latin which both reflect my interest
in mathematics and antique matters I can already
tell that Liu is a lot smarter than I but
you know as we look at all these names and
where they're from of course a lot from Washington
as we've mentioned about 70% but as we saw
earlier the show about an hour ago on where
all these students come from we just heard
from China from Liu you know from Puerto Rico
Africa Africa Australia Russia just everyone
Japan every work I mean the UW is connected
globally you could throw a dart at a globe
you can hit it you can know there was a few
double graduate there yeah and one thing I
really enjoy about the UW thinking back to
my time I had some really interesting classes
class sizes that could be anywhere from 500
to 600 and some could be 20 to 30 and the
classes that were 500 to 600 you think how
am I gonna get recognized how am I gonna get
one-on-one contact with the teachers but somehow
you find a way we did it and some of those
professors and teachers I still remember to
this day I've seen him grocery stores and said hey Dan Turnakov geology 101 do you remember me
mean Erin hey how's it going you see him
in the grocery store and that's the kind of
thing that I liked and I know that happens
a lot at different universities you make these
connections but it is really something that
you don't think about while you're in that
time of your college degree you know you think
I'm just here I gotta get through that time
I got to get to bed I got a study in the morning
and I have a huge test and then you get through
that day and it's a new day and you and you're
either fired up or you're a little bit down
because you're not sure how you did on the
test but one thing to know is that you get
through it you graduate and in the end it's
not going to matter if you got two wrong on
that test or four wrong you got your degree
right and you've been educated and you've
learned from what you know
[Music]
carrying
v gonfalon for the College of Arts and Sciences
is DiShawnn Newell was graduating with a Bachelor
of Science in neuroscience so here's what
DiShawnn says a quote I chose UW for its prestigious
academic standing within the research and
medical community you know has also offered
me the opportunity to gain a holistic education
focusing on the brain I learned a human I
learned of human biology through neuroscience
and consequent behavior through psychology
well DiShawnn is also a member of Phi Beta
Phi Sigma fraternity member of a student veteran
life also the National pan-hellenic Council
he's a husky rugby player number 14 on
the wing and project rise research is what
he's involved in along with the Husky bowling
league wow that's pretty cool so he he's a
bowler and a brawler with rugby oh you must
be pretty strong though those rugby players
yeah big strength
[Music]
he must analyze
a lot of folks in the rugby and bowling industry
with his psychology behavior you know what
he has learned and looking at different folks
and kind of analyzing them and seeing how
their mechanics work and what goes through
the process there of their heads and their
minds
[Music]
we want to remind people
too that we've seen a lot on social media
the UW grad 20 hashtag on Instagram people
are voting for the best cap decorations and
so forth through through this so don't forget
if you haven't voted to get online and vote
for that at the UW daily there's so many great
ones to look for I don't know how they could
just pick one but I guess by voting that will
help and tally up the numbers to get to get
through and as we talked about before I love
the fact that those cap and gowns are made
out of recycled water bottles yeah they just
take them you toss them in a garbage can they
get picked up they get shredded and somebody
else is wearing them the next year
[Music]
carrying the final gonfalon for the College
of Arts and Sciences is Calvin Paulson who
is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in history
Empire and colonialism 
well Calvin is from Bonney Lake so right here
in western Washington and a quote I chose
history as my field of studies because this
field is uniquely positioned to empower marginalize
people and heal the wounds caused by past
violence he's on the Dean's List each quarter
he's attended he was a Mary gates scholar
for 2018 you know when you look at these these
students who are graduating and you look at
everything they've done all of them are so
diverse I mean going back just a couple of
minutes one guy's a rugby player right it's
just it's just incredible that's what makes
up a meeting like this across the nation the
world it brings everyone together and when
you're really deep dive into the purple and
gold of these people you find out so many
things they're so interesting and intricate
and how they got here you know a scholarship
non-scholarship working all the way through
high school to pay for their college to get
them a leg up and that's what I think the
University of Washington folks have learned
once they graduate through in either walk
or virtually walk and hear their name called
they have so much going for them already and
they don't even know it that's one thing that
I think I wish maybe I could go back I had
some great time some fun I studied I got decent
grades but I'd love to go back on campus again
of the students you would
ladies and gentlemen
please welcome bachelors candidates from the
College of Education led by gonfalonierre
Dalya Perez Dalya is receiving a Doctor
of Philosophy and education leadership and
policy studies she says quote Seattle is my
hometown as a longtime educator I know that
institutions of education have the power to
transform people's lives and communities UW
College of Education helped me launch into
a meaningful doctoral journey of equitable
leadership research and action
[Music]
entering
now are the bachelors candidates from the
College of Engineering let bygones Lanier's
Tushar Khurana and Kimberly Ruth Tushar is
receiving a Bachelor of Science in engineering
Kimberly is graduating with a Bachelor of
Science in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor
of Arts in mathematics
[Music]
Tushar
says well growing up my family moved back
and forth between different cities in India
and the United States I wanted to study at
a public university in a large city the UW
had a good financial aid and scholarships
package plus Seattle had just passed the $15
minimum wage he's also published a sign or
they vote she's also published a scientific
paper with the geophysical Institute in Fairbanks
Alaska developed machinery learning hydrology
forecasting with a startup and research water
policy with King County volunteered at Beacon
food forest the University District Food Bank
a lot going on home and Kimberly she says
my hometown is Bellevue I love the field of
computing since I enjoy using logical structures
to build technologies that help people I chose
to attend UW dude due to its abundant opportunities
for growth and world-class academic strength
especially in my field undergraduate research
has been a major endeavor of hers as she says
I've been involved in work that's led to four
academic publications oh that's exciting including
one project I ran is the lead author I've
also engaged in mentorship teaching and outreach
activities both inside and outside of the
Allen yeah when you listen to Kimberly Ruth
and everything she's done it kind of makes
me feel better because I'm a lot older but
at least for our children the future seems
a little bit brighter than it does today but
man it is so nice to see these smart kids
these smart graduates knowing that they're
gonna pretty much pick up the ball and run
run with it forever and I appreciate that
about that they have for sure well I'm just
glad the weather held out a little bit Gaard
it could have been a bit so near some folks
are outside where they're doing part of the
ceremony and announced you know while others
are just virtually on your computer's watching
for barrier so welcome in from all over the
country all over the world wherever you are
thanks for joining us and being purple and
gold today and celebrating your graduates
and checking out some of the others who are
walking through this kind of virtual ceremony
for the first time ever here on the University
of Washington campus you're watching the 145th
annual
[Music]
please welcome the candidates
from the College of the environment carrying
the gonfalon is Andrew Thomas Chin who is
receiving a Bachelor of Science in aquatic
and fishery sciences and marine biology
Andrew says my pursuit of fishery science
is everything that a five-year-old in me would
have dreamed of I initially attended school
out of state but the research and teaching
community at the school of aquatic and fishery
sciences made a transfer back home to Seattle
a very easy decision Oh II was science communication
fellow at Washington Sea Grant and editor-in-chief
of the undergraduate environmental research
journal field notes I don't remember having
all these credentials while I was going through
although I didn't work for the daily in the
newspaper of things like that
[Music]
bachelor
candidates from the information school are
now entering the information school gonfalon
is carried by gonfalonierres Autumn Derr and
Hayley Younghusband Autumn is receiving a
Bachelor of Science in informatics data science
and human-computer interaction Hayley is receiving
a Bachelor of Science in informatics Autumn
says I chose UW for its mix of academic rigor
and rich college experience from my life to
this science and the scenic Pacific Northwest
bachelor candidates from the Michael G Foster
School of Business are now entering led by
gonfalon ear Danny P Bui Danny is receiving
a Bachelor of Arts in business administration
marketing well Danny was born and raised in
San Jose California just down the i-5 quarter
to the south and he says the idea of comfort
attending college in my home state was dull
so he wanted to explore the outdoors of the
Pacific Northwest not too far away a short
plane ride while pursuing his passion for
Business and Technology yeah he's also the
president of Husky veterans and the secretary
for Vietnamese Student Association
[Music]
he also is part of Alpha Kappa Phi fraternity
and he definitely mentors people around just
to let you know today this is also a unique
experience not only because it's virtually
online with this commencement Gaard but they're
celebrating and were virtually walking students
from UW Tacoma and Bothell we're all here
today and that's the first time ever as well
along with being online yeah first time ever
and it's really nice because everybody feels
so included and it's when you have Bothell
which is an incredible campus and then way
south of Bothell you down in Tacoma another
incredible campus now if I live down in Tacoma
but all the traffic that we've had not in
the last couple times but I would probably
pick Tacoma or if I was close to Bothell I'd
probably pick close to Bothell so I wouldn't
have to fight traffic but even fighting traffic
to get here and look at these beautiful scenes
we have here of the columns and the beautiful
set that was erected for the gonfalonierres
and the rest of the gang here at the UW is
just been incredible it has an either you
want to mention that some of the points and
recognitions that UW you know the you
know of nursing schools ranked number one
among schools offering a Doctor of Nursing
Practice that was just two months ago Wow
B problem this gets better and better here
at the University of Washington yeah you dubs
Foster School ranked number one in the u.s.
for MBA jobs and now that was four months
ago so they've been ranked for many careers
and bachelor candidates from the School of
Nursing and the School of Medicine are now
entering the School of Nursing is led by gonfalonierre
Kristen Trivelli who is receiving a Doctor
of Nursing Practice carrying the gonfalon
for the School of Medicine Faridah Abdullah
who is receiving a master of occupational
therapy 
welcome now the bachelor candidates from the
College of built environments they are led
by gonfaloniere Andres Flores was receiving
a Master of Architecture boy could be the
school of metal Medicine it could be architecture
the Arts and Sciences it could be music they
have it all here at the UW dentistry oceanography
just a huge program with so much to offer
not only for their medical professional what
they're doing now obviously with these tough
times in the pandemic in covid 19 but they've
really made strides across the board in all
degrees
[Music]
the final groups of bachelor
candidates entering are from the School of
Public Health and the School of Social Work
carrying the gonfalon for the School of Public
Health is Esther My Nguyen was receiving a Bachelor
of Arts in food systems nutrition and health
the School of Social Work candidates are led
by gonfalonierre Amber Barcel was receiving
a master of Social Work well well she's from
Forks he feels right at home right now say
this rain is starting to come down luckily
it's a virtual ceremony but yeah she just
wanted to get out and get new opportunities
push herself academically and defined all
of her passions and she's happy to say that
she fell in love with the field of nutritional
sciences and cannot wait to continue down
this road in his path yeah she said she lived
in India for a while interning in a nutrition
and lactation program for a nonprofit and
also volunteered in the Dominican Republic
for the past three years so this young lady
has been all over the world helping people
and educating people just like she got educated
here at the UW and she's just spreading the
love now and will Amber talking about all
over the world born in South Korea and raised
in rural Nebraska that's quite the change
she chose to study social work at the U dub
because of its policy concentration and and
and lenses there yeah
[Music]
just an incredible scene here at the University
of Washington a virtual graduation for over
6700 students and it has just been a terrific
day that started hours ago and every single
one of these young ladies these young men
these these people who have graduated here
at the UW it really is incredible to see
all the backgrounds all the diversity and
everything they have done to get themselves
a diploma as they move forward into the future
and of their life yeah one of the times that's
just very unique but I think that everybody's
come together as President Ana Mari Cauce
has said that they were not sure she just
was not sure if this was going to happen due
to covid 19 and I think many people across
the globe thought this isn't going to happen
and it did everything just systematically
shut down but we've managed to get back up
and try to find a new life in the world of
technology and information science and UW
is a major player and what is going on in
the world pandemic why yeah and even if put
on a virtual event like this is not an easy
task I've been involved in a lot of television
in my life and through that we have here and
I was told that it was up to a hundred people
over the last 30 days to get this thing going
and get it off the ground and not only do
we social distance you and I don't cuz we're
married but have all the guests we've had
have been at least six feet apart everybody
here wears masks there's 10 to 12 10 set are
set up inside the tents there are plastic
shields between each cubicle people are working
on computers people are working on editors
it's just been an incredible scene to see
how many professionals here at the UW can
adapt to such a horrific thing that we're
in the middle this coronaviruses covid 19
but it just isn't as a true example of what
happens here at the University of Washington
and how people have to adapt because one you
don't have a choice you can stick your tail
between your legs and just forget about this
and go into hibernation but the UW is front
and center and fighting this behind the scenes
and in front of the scenes yeah they've always
been a leader in the university eyes of several
universities major universities hundreds of
universities thousands of universities across
the world and the country and they continue
to do it during times like these not only
at the University of Washington but other
programs and other organizations around our
area Seattle you place it like that they've
all come together and develop new forms of
a way of life and to invent and and deal with
technology and what they can have moving forward
I know we talked about earlier what the University
of Washington invented bubblegum yeah Recycling's
things like that vinyl the wave know it that
just shows how diverse it is so many things
have come out of here so many incredible businesses
recession of the Graduate is now concluded
under the University of Washington and continues
and I think with this pandemic that's happening
I think it's I think it's gonna push us to
greater limits
[Music]
now
entering Sylvan Grove are the members of the
president's party led by University marshal
Associate Professor Joseph Janes of the information
school
[Music]
we'd like
to begin the ceremony by acknowledging the
land on which the university rests the land
of the Coast Salish peoples which touches
the shared waters of all tribes and bands
within the Suquamish Tulalip and Muckleshoot
nations today we celebrate together the commencement
exercises of the University of Washington
will be opened with the presentation of the
colors by the Navy ROTC color guard and the
singing of the star-spangled banner by a choir
composed of students from the School of Music
please rise
[Music]
please be seated
and welcome to the 145th commencement exercises
of the University of Washington my name is
Joseph Janes and I'm an associate professor
in the information school on ceremonial occasions
such as this however I am honored to serve
as the university marshal and welcome you
all officially to this ceremony as you can
see we're here in a somewhat damp Sylvan
Grove behind me are the four iconic columns
that form the grand entrance to the first
territorial University of Washington building
which was constructed on a rise in what is
now downtown Seattle in 1861 these columns
resonate with the dreams and visions of the
people who raised them in a village of only
300 people over a century and a half ago they
symbolize the never-ending pursuit of knowledge
truth and artistic expression always enduring
and always new our first graduates celebrated
in front of these columns and when the downtown
building came down only these cedar columns
were saved they were erected on what is now
the quad and there they played a prominent
role in early and graduations ceremonies were
held here in the Sylvan Grove when the columns
were moved to this location in 1921 but for
nearly 100 years no class has graduated in
front of these original columns until today
this day the class of 2020 makes history all
our graduating classes are unique including
this one in so many ways we wanted this ceremony
to be special for you and that's why we chose
this place what happens here today will likely
never be repeated today's ceremony is also
history for another reason graduates from
across the United States and from 40 countries
and 6 continents are tuning in to participate
in today's ceremony and we see you all we
see you in Brazil in Mexico in Panama and
Peru we see you in Bangladesh Cambodia China
Hong Kong in India Japan Korea Malaysia in
Vietnam we see you in Australia in Guam in
New Zealand we see you in Oman in South Africa
and the United Arab Emirates we see you in
Belgium Denmark the Netherlands the United
Kingdom and our neighbors in Canada when these
columns were salvaged professor of history
and UW alumnus Edmond Meany and his colleague
Herbert Condon gave them names loyalty industry
faith and efficiency l ife life so we celebrate
life here today the lives of our students
their journeys to us and with us and now from
us we celebrate the lives and sacrifices and
gifts of the families and friends who helped
bring you to this time and place and we celebrate
the life of this great public university in
so many ways a beacon which is also appropriate
as our University's motto is looks sit somewhat
imperfect Latin for let there be light for
where there is life there is light and where
there is life and light there is hope we send
our graduates out with hope into a world that
desperately needs it and desperately needs
you to all the graduates who are joining us
from all three campuses and across the United
States and around the world it is my great
pleasure to welcome all of you to commencement
2020 celebrating worldwide as you can see
today we are observing the physical distancing
guidelines that have been put into place to
combat covid 19 and as a result our stage
party is limited with us today is the leadership
of the University and I'd like to introduce
them at this time first the chair of the University's
Board of Regents Joel Benoliel the president
of the university of washington professor
Ana Mari Cauce a University Provost Mark A
Richards the Chancellor of the University
of Washington Bothell Dr. Wolf Yeigh and the
Chancellor of the University of Washington
Tacoma Dr. Mark A Pagano we sincerely appreciate
everyone's presence here today thank you be
seated commencement is a memorable day not
only for our graduates but also for our faculty
who truly enjoy celebrating the accomplishments
of their students a commencement we traditionally
highlight faculty who have been recognized
for their outstanding teaching here to do
that today is the person who works most closely
with the deans and the faculty to shape our
students academic experience our Provost Dr. Mark Richards thank you Dr. Janes each year
the university presents what are known as
the Awards of Excellence to individuals whose
mentorship and service have had a profound
impact on the lives of students and the broader
university community I want to take a moment
to honor several of those Award winners now
this year five faculty have received the distinguished
Teaching Award they are Xiaosong Li the
Harry and Katherine Jane Boland endowed professor
of chemistry Ali Rowhani-Rahbar associate
professor of epidemiology Karin D Martin assistant
professor in public policy and governance
Ian Schnee senior lecturer in philosophy and
Alyssa Taylor senior lecturer in bioengineering
the recipient of the Marsha L Lando distinguished
graduate mentor award is Manka Varghese professor
of education finally two graduate students
with teaching responsibilities have received
the excellence in Teaching Award for 2020
they are Charles C Lanfear graduate staff
assistant in sociology and Vern Harner doctoral
candidate in Social Welfare these faculty
inspires students to discover their passion
for learning create opportunities for them
to make a real difference and change the way
the students see the world I would like to
take the opportunity to thank all of our faculty
and teaching assistants for putting their
students first in this unprecedented year
they swiftly adjusted the ways in which they
teach to ensure that UW students and the graduates
we are honoring today received the best possible
education to the graduates I would say you
have learned from the best and now I can't
wait to see how you will change the world
since 1932 the university has presented medals
to the graduating seniors with the most distinguished
academic records at the University on the
Seattle campus one medal is awarded to a student
who has completed at least 3/4 of his or her
degree requirements at the University and
one is awarded to a student who entered the
university with at least 60 transfer credits
from a Washington Community College each year
a president's medal is also awarded to an
outstanding graduate at each of the Tacoma
and Bothell campuses to present the medals
to this year's winners whose welcome the president
of the University of Washington Ana Mari Cauce thank you Dr. Janes I'm so happy to
see all of you here today I can see you on
I'm on the monitors and it's almost as if
we were together again we miss you I'll have
more to say later but now I want to present
our president's medalist this year they are
truly remarkable the recipient of president's
medals at the University of Washington Fa'auma Kaimana of Seattle Washington and Savannah
Claire Casas of Tacoma Washington who entered
the UW from Tacoma Community College by OMA
who was a member of this year Huskie 100 studied
abroad in Samoa and focused their studies
on the importance of inclusive families in
the academics ascent and the academic success
and social support amongst students of color
Paloma is graduating summa cum laude with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and
in anthropology medical anthropology and global
health they plan to pursue a PhD in Indigenous
Studies or a related field and become an academic
researcher investigating the relationship
between language and community resilience
in Seattle area amongst urban Native American
communities savannah is graduating summa cum
laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology
she's been working with the university's cognition
and cortical dynamics laboratory as part of
her honors research project she also studies
Japanese and will take a year off to teach
English in Japan she plans on entering the
Asian and comparative law LLM program at the
UW School of Law and ultimately she plans
to work to facilitate cross-cultural interactions
between the United States and Asia the president's
medalists for the University of Washington
Tacoma is Brooke Nicole Carlaw during her time
at UW Tacoma Brooke worked at the Center for
Applied cognitive research with dr. Steven
Ross on researching eyewitness misidentification
Brooke is graduating summa cum laude with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology she
plans to continue her education in the fall
at Colorado State University where she will
begin work on a PhD and cognitive psychology
this year's medalist for the University of
Washington Bothell is Casey Cummins Casey
is graduating with a 3.9 6 GPA Faculty honors
and a Bachelor of Arts degree in health studies
from the School of Nursing and Health Studies
during the academic year Kate conducted research
using a drug discovery technique that uses
mathematical modeling to predict the biological
activity or potency of new compounds Casey plans
to work as a nurse assistant for two years
before continuing his education in medical
school please join me in recognizing our extraordinary
president's medalists and I would also like
to recognize those students who are graduating
today with the university's highest baccalaureate
honors summa cum laude magna cum laude and
cum laude the names of the Seattle campus
honorees are listed in the commencement program
each year the chancellors at our Bothell and
Tacoma campuses recognize students who have
demonstrated extraordinary achievement the
Chancellor's medal recognizes individuals
who have been a consistent source of inspiration
for faculty and fellow students alike and
to have overcome significant obstacles in
order to complete a degree I would like to
invite Chancellor Yeigh and Chancellor Pagano
to present the Chancellor's medalists from
their campuses Thank You president Cauce
I am proud to present two medals today our
first medal goes to Yasmin Guzman Yasmin is
an undergraduate majoring in Health Studies
she has been a passion for supporting health
and wellness of vulnerable individuals and
families propelling her to achieve some remarkable
achievements our second medal winner is Midia De Souza
Midia is an undergraduate student
double majoring in media and communications
and law economics and public policy Midia
has done remarkable working work with translating
her obstacles into inspiration for other students
not only has she excelled academically she
has been extremely involved in advocating
for students and others to overcome their
own obstacles whether they face similar or
different challenges please join me in recognizing
our Chancellor's medalists from the University
of Washington Bothell
[ Applause ]
the 2020 Chancellor's medal for the University of Washington Tacoma is awarded to Leticia Romo Bueno
Leticia is the first person in her family to attend
and graduate from college Leticia came to
the United States at the age of 13 once here
she endured homelessness and abuse by her
then-boyfriend Leticia overcame these hardships
and found stability inside the classroom while
raising two small children Leticia graduates
today with a degree in criminal justice I
know she and her family including her mother
are streaming in right now so please join
me in saying hello to them and in recognizing
latisha for this award
[ Applause ]
an important component of the governance of this institution and its leadership is called on regularly to
represent student views on a wide range of issues at
the University I'm pleased to introduce to
you now the president of the graduate and
professional Student Senate Juliana Conti
and the president of the Associated Students
of the University of Washington Keltey Pierce
to the graduate professional students at Bothell
Tacoma and Seattle campuses I'll be honest
I don't know how much pomp and circumstance
I can give you considering the state of the
world especially since nothing I say will
get you a job lessen your anxiety or pay your
rent but given my experience with grad students
over the years there's a few things which
I'd like to at least remind you because ultimately
what you take away from your time here at
UW want have anything to do with what we say
today it's going to come in pieces as you
unpack what you've accomplished and as you
head into something new moving forward you'll
be confronted with choices and maybe even
hardships and so in those moments I encourage
you to think about the following first when
you came here you would already pour hours
of work into researching programs applying
exercising self confidence and optimism in
your ability to succeed you believed that
you needed this degree for your life and happiness
that understanding of what you need to get
where you want to go has not left continue
to trust those instincts second in order for
you to finish this degree especially those
of you completing upwards of four eight or
even 10 years in your program you must have
had an incalculable patience and stubbornness
hold that in your back pocket because I have
a feeling you're gonna need it a lot moving
forward so lastly for those of you who are
motivated by community and justice this is
who you are keep being that person we've become
instruments who take what we've learned here
at UW and apply it to wherever we see injustice
and wherever we can get our hands on so continue
to step in and stand up when those choices
confront you I don't have anything to offer
other than what you already possess every
quality of success that you've needed to envision
and achieve getting yourself here today now
keep doing these things plan boldly be self-reliant
but recognize when you need to ask for help
continue to care about things bigger than
yourself and be there for others and of course
exercise optimism and be stubborn especially
with your intuition so congratulations grad
students today you should celebrate and be
incredibly proud of yourself and what you've
accomplished moving into tomorrow what's next
you've got everything you need you tell us
hello Bothell Tacoma and Seattle Huskies
my name is Keltey Pierce and I had the honor
of serving as your ASUW alongside a phenomenal
team as a second-generation husky who grew
up cheering for the dog's tail meeting with
my family in my full-on chair uniform and
eating dippin dots and Husky Stadium I was
looking forward to the day that I would get
to graduate there today well I watch this
on my parents couch I can admit this is not
how I expected our graduation to go yet here
we are as Huskies celebrating our time at
UW and all that we have accomplished and regardless
of where in the world you are celebrating
today know the loved ones surrounding you
your peers friends and roommates mentors and
faculty who supported your journey and myself
we are right here cheering you on just as
we have the past few years throughout your
academic journey now the past few months we
have faced many unprecedented challenges including
a global pandemic that has changed the way
we live and learn to nationwide protests demanding
change and justice for black lives you have
shown your resilience your care for one another
and your desire for bold action I am so proud
of our students for holding each other our
administration and our elected officials accountable
for speaking out and making a change in this
year's convocation speech two new Huskies
I told them that you will learn these next
four years don't always go as planned embrace
it embrace the challenges embrace the changes
embrace the adventures little did I know I
would need to be hearing these words myself
as our senior year did not go as planned as
graduates this school applies to us more than
ever as we enter the real world unsure of
what is to come what challenges we will face
we need to continue to fight for change listen
and learn from one another and use our education
to better the world as I have reflected on
my own experiences in purple and gold I can
admit that I will miss this place once I leave
I will miss walking through the quad with
a couple thousand of my close friends during
Spring Quarter my daily coffee runs to cafe
solstice lobbying with fellow students and
filming a golf cart karaoke video on campus
but what I will miss the most is the community
that I have got to be a part of I want to
remind you all that no matter where you are
you will always be a member of the class of
2020 a University of Washington graduate and
a part of a community of young adults ready
to be catalysts for change and as always go
Dawgs now I would like to introduce this year's
featured commencement speaker a leader who
knows firsthand about the challenges and obstacles
our classes had to overcome to reach this
milestone president Ana Mari Cauce has served
as the university of washington president
since 2015 but her husky roots go much deeper
than that since joining the faculty 34 years
ago she has been a pioneer for women in academia
throughout her time as a researcher professor
mentor and administrator she and her leadership
team took the bold first steps to lead higher
education institutions across the nation in
response to covid additionally she has launched
the population health initiative a multi-decade
effort to improve the health and well-being
of all people and communities she is the recipient
of the distinguished Teaching Award and has
worked to ensure that all people have opportunities
in stem please help me welcome president Ana Mari Cauce Thank You Keltey hello class
of 2020 in times this extraordinary it takes
an extraordinary class to succeed as you have
and it is my great honor to say to all of
you congratulations on a truly historic achievement
it's no doubt bittersweet that we're physically
so far apart on this special day I promise
you that you will have the opportunity to
walk across the stage and the cheers will
be deafening but today while we can't be together
in person the connections that unite us close
that distance to all of you across the US
and more than 40 countries in this moment
we are together as Huskies we're connected
by the shared experience of enduring this
pandemic together almost overnight all of
us became experts at learning teaching entertaining
and being there for each other through the
magic of the Internet we're also connected
by anxiety uncertainty and yes grief that
grief that covid 19 has brought to our nation
and to our world and if you're mourning a
loved one lost to the virus we mourn with
you if you are anxious know that we are in
this together we're connected by the pride
in your accomplishments and our belief that
not only despite but because of the hardships
you've overcome your future is bright and
by the way as hard as this last quarter has
been it's not the only chapter in your academic
career it took you years to get here and long
before anyone had ever heard of covid 19 you
showed the world what strength and determination
look like I speak for all your faculty instructors
coaches and advisers when I say how proud
we are to see you cross this threshold knowing
that you will take a piece of the University
of Washington with you wherever you go you
are a historic class graduating at one of
the most significant inflection points in
our nation almost a century ago as the world
was still climbing out of the Great Depression
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reflected
on the ebb and flow of history as he put it
there's a mysterious cycle and human events
to some generations much is given of other
generations much is expected this generation
has a rendezvous with destiny I've been reflecting
on that ebb and flow as well these we these
recent weeks have revealed not for the first
time but with terrible clarity the pervasive
and systemic inequities in our society from
who has to go into work during a pandemic
so who has adequate health care or sick leave
inequality permeates the system for low-income
or people of color the most brutal expression
of that inequality manifests itself in the
killing in the murder of black men and women
and I join you in mourning their lives and
I join you in the conviction to make sure
that their lives matter that black lives matter
today you collect your hard earned degrees and take them into a world that's facing challenges unlike
any that we've seen in generations you are
one of those generations of who much is expected
I know it's hard I know it's not fair but
you've made it anyways and as a UW graduate
in one of the most difficult years in modern
history you've proven that you have what it
takes to deal with any challenge that life
can throw at you and the lessons you've learned
here will serve you well throughout your lives
I experienced family tragedy in my early 20s
but going through life knowing early on that
I could survive and learn and grow from one
of the hardest things that life will ever
throw to any one of my privileged and I know
I'm privileged it only stiffens my resolve
to get things done to be part of creating
change through actions and strategies that
balance the very real urgency of the moment
with the knowledge that we've had enough shows
of burning treetops we've got to dig up roots
that go down to the very inception of this
country a country that I love and that took
me and my family in as political refugees
when I was just a taught but it's a country
that's hurting it's the country that's flawed
it's a country that needs to change and that
we can help to heal and to make better and
those of you that can don't forget to vote
yes you're graduating and an extremely difficult
but also fortuitous time as a clinical community
psychologist I studied crisis theory which
tells us that the opportunity for greatest
change arises precisely during periods of
turmoil when all equilibrium is thrown off
kilter and as hard as that moment is it can
also serve a purpose let it give you the focus
and courage to demand and create a change
in our society let it strengthen your resolve
into something so unshakable so undeniable
that the world will be forced to reckon with
it you have the power to build a future that
honors the values of equity that we strive
for at our University and that addresses the
systemic issues of our society among your
future teachers intrapreneur scientists engineers
artists policymakers health care providers
journalists and leaders and careers that haven't
even been invented yet as you enter into the
next phase of your life perhaps more education
a job marriage Parenthood or all of those
you will make mistakes you will experience
setbacks but through it all you will have
that little extra steel in your spine because
of what you've endured this year and I have
full confidence that you will use that strength
for immense good when you hit a speed bump
in the years ahead remember what you did here
you equip yourself with the knowledge and
skills to succeed you solve problems and recovered
from disappointment you worked hard and you
learned the value of being kind to others
and to yourself you served your community
and helped your families you've learned how
to ask questions and seek out answers when
it was hard when it was frustrating when it
was painful you persevered today we celebrate
the culmination of everything that you and
those that supported you invested in yourself
because of course you had some help moms and
dads grandparents aunts uncles siblings friends
spouses or children and all of you who offer
support along the way you helped make this
day possible and we're counting on you to
give your graduate the hugs and high-fives
that we would like to be giving them today
you've been there for your students in so
many ways long before they became Huskies
in the last few months you've been there for
them in ways that you never expected thank
you for making it possible for our students
to keep up with their coursework thank you
for helping many of them make the difficult
transition from life on campus to life at
home many families have faced financial hardship
or had to juggle childcare while working from
home others have kept us healthy safe and
fed through their role as essential workers
almost no one has endured the last few months
without challenges but whatever you were dealing
with you did what it took to make sure your
graduate cross the finish line thank you graduates
we're grateful for all that you have brought
to our University of Washington your resilience
in these final moments of your academic career
will be an inspiring legacy at your University
and your achievements and aspirations fill
me with hope in a moment when hope is one
of those things that we need the most whatever
your journey holds please always lead with
your values the world is right for reshaping
molded into a new and better world defined
by compassion service to others and equity
for all the University of Washington is proud
to claim you as alumni we celebrate your achievements
today and we look forward to the indelible
mark that you will make on the world tomorrow
and for the rest of your lives congratulations
class of 2020
[Applause]
ladies and gentlemen
we are now ready to present the degrees to
all candidates candidates will be presented
by the deans of the Seattle campus and the
Chancellor's of the Bothell and Tacoma campuses
and witnessed by the various faculties degrees
will be conferred by the chair of the Board
of Regents Joel Benoliel candidates for
doctoral degrees will be presented by the
several Dean's for the School of Medicine
associate dean Sara Kim
it is an honor to recommend the 262 candidates
for the degree of Doctor of medicines Faculty
of the School of Medicine do you concur we
do congratulations graduates we wish you the
best Dean Gary Chiodo School of Dentistry it
is my pleasure to present the candidates for
Doctor of Dental Surgery Faculty of the School
of Dentistry do you concur congratulations
graduates we wish you the very best and we
are so proud of you Tony Remy Dean Mario L
Barnes School of Law 
on behalf of the Faculty of Law I have the
honor of presenting the 158 candidates for
the degree of Juris Doctor Faculty of the
School of Law do you concur congratulations
graduates you have exhibited flexibility grace
courage and determination under the most challenging
of circumstances this quarter you are going
to make excellent members of the legal profession
and we could not be prouder in Dean Sean Sullivan
School of Pharmacy 
president Cauce it is my honor to present
the 103 candidates for the degree of doctor
of pharmacy Faculty of the School of Pharmacy
do you concur congratulations graduates the
faculty and I are confident that you will
keep your communities healthy Dean Joy Williamson-Lott of the Graduate School
joining us today are candidates who completed
all requirements for the degrees of Doctor
of Philosophy musical arts education physical
therapy audiology and nursing practice on
behalf of the deans of the schools and colleges
and the Graduate faculty I am pleased and
honored to recommend these candidates for
the highest degrees awarded by the university
graduate faculty do you concur yes well all
the doctoral degree candidates from all schools
and colleges please rise
[Applause]
degree
candidates from the schools and colleges just
presented 
is to confer upon these candidates their respective
doctoral degrees congratulations you have
achieved high academic distinction in this
university salutes you the names degrees and
photos of this year's outstanding doctoral
candidates can be found in the box marked
grad moments on your screen you got your candidates
for master's degrees will be presented by
interim dean Allison Cullen of the Evans School
of Public Policy and governance and Dean Williamson-Lott of the graduate school
candidates for master's degrees in the Evans School of Public Policy and governance will
please rise 
Evans School faculty do you concur yes congratulations
graduates we are so proud of you now please
remain standing candidates for the various
master's degrees for all schools and colleges
from the University of Washington Seattle
Bothell and Tacoma please rise on behalf of
the Dean to display the college's and the
Graduate faculty I am honored to present all
of these candidates to receive their respective
master's degrees it is my distinct honor to
present to you Regent Benoliel all of the
master's degree candidates from the schools
and colleges of the universities three campuses
on behalf of the Board of Regents and the
Graduate faculty I am pleased to confer upon
each of you your master's degree congratulations
the name conveys degrees and photos of this
year's outstanding master's degree candidates
can be found in the box marked grad moments
on your screen
candidates for bachelor's degrees in the various
colleges and schools of all three campuses
will be presented by the several Dean's and
chancellors the candidates who have been accepted
by the general faculty as a university for
their respective degrees are listed in the
commencement program for the College of Arts
and Sciences Dean Robert Stacey
candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences
will please rise it is my honor to present
these candidates for the degrees of Bachelor
of Arts bachelor of fine arts Bachelor of
design Bachelor of music and Bachelor of Science
and to recommend that they be awarded their
respective degrees faculty of the College
of Arts and Sciences do you concur congratulations
graduates we are proud of all of you 
Dean Mia Tuan College of Education
well candidates from the College of Education
please rise
the faction of Arts degrees in early childhood
and Family Studies and education communities
and organizations and to recommend that they
be awarded their degrees faculty of the College
of Education do you concur
Dean
Nancy Allbritton College of Engineering
candidates from the College of Engineering
will please rise
for the degrees of Bachelor of Science Bachelor
of Science and Engineering Bachelor of Science
and aeronautical and astronautical engineering
bioengineering Chemical Engineering civil
and environmental engineering Computer Engineering
computer science Electrical Engineering human
centered design and engineering industrial
and systems engineering materials science
and engineering and mechanical engineering
and to recommend that they be awarded their
respective degrees faculty of the College
of Engineering do you concur
Dean Lisa Grunlich college of the environment
the candidates from the College of the environment
will please rise it is my pleasure and honor
to present these candidates of the College
of the environment for the degrees of Bachelor
of Arts Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Science
and forest resources and Bachelor of Science
and Aquatic and fishery sciences and to recommend
that they be awarded their respective degrees
faculty of the College of the environment
do you concur we do congratulations graduates
we wish you all the very best Dean Anind Dey
of the information school 
candidates from the information school please
rise 
for the degree of Bachelor of Science and
informatics and to recommend that they be
awarded their bachelor's degrees faculty of
the information school do you concur 
Dean Frank Hodge Michael G Foster School of
Business 
the candidates from the Michael G Foster School
of Business will please rise 
and recommend that they be awarded their respective
bachelor's degrees faculty of the Foster School
do you concur
Dean Azita Amami School of Nursing 
degree candidates from the number one School
of Nursing in the nation would you please
rise science in nursing and recommend that
they be awarded a bachelor's degrees faculty
of School of Nursing would you concur
Associate Dean Sara Kim School of Medicine
we'll the bachelor candidates from the School
of Medicine please rise 
from the School of Medicine in the specialized
fields of medical technology and physician's
assistant and to recommend they be awarded
their respective bachelor's degrees Faculty
of the School of Medicine do you concur we
did congratulations graduates we're so proud
of you
Dean Rene Chang college
of built environments will the candidates
from the college of built environments please
rise in architecture landscape architecture
construction management and the community
environmental planning and to recommend that
they be awarded their respective bachelor's
degrees Faculty of the College of built environments
do you concur
Dean Edwina Euhara
School of Social Work 
distinguished candidates from the School of
Social Work please rise on behalf of the socialist
faculty it is my great privilege to present
these candidates for their bachelor's degrees
in Social Welfare and to recommend that they
be awarded their respective bachelor's degrees
Faculty of the School of Social Work do you
concur
Dean Hilary Godwin School of Public Health
the candidates from the School of Public Health
will please rise 
for bachelor's degrees in the School of Public
Health and recommend that they be awarded
their respective degrees faculty of the school
of public health do you concur
presenting bachelor's degree candidates from
the University of Washington Bothell Chancellor
Wolf Yeigh will all the bachelors degree candidates
from the University of Washington Bothell
please rise
I am honored to present these candidates for
their respective bachelor's degrees and recommend
that all who have fulfilled the requirements
prescribed by the Faculty of the University
of Washington Bothell be awarded their degrees
faculty of University Washington Bothell do
you concur congratulations graduates you are
now proud graduates of University of Washington
Bothell presenting bachelor's degree candidates
from the University of Washington Tacoma Chancellor
Mark A Pagano will all of the bachelors degree
candidates from the University of Washington
Tacoma no matter where you are in the world
please rise these candidates for
the respective bachelor's degrees and recommend
that all who have fulfilled the requirements
prescribed by the Faculty of the UW tacoma
be awarded their degrees Dean's representing
the Faculty of the University of Washington
Tacoma do you concur
will all bachelors degree candidates from
all three campuses please rise graduates you
have already begun to work your magic you've
made the Sun come out and it is my distinct
honor to present you Regent Benoliel all
of the bachelors degree candidates from the
various schools and colleges of all three
University of Washington campuses on behalf
of the Board of Regents and the Faculty of
the University I am pleased to confer
upon each of you your respective bachelor
degrees congratulations the names degrees
and photos of this year's outstanding bachelor
degree candidates can be found in the box
marked grad moments on your screen and now
graduates turn your tassels from the from
the right to the left congratulations
[ Siren ]
congratulations to all of our graduates
all of today's participants will receive a
copy of the block w photograph that you just
saw on your screen in addition a memento of
this day will be mailed to you soon the School
of Music choir will now lead us in the singing
of rise up with pride for Washington the words
to the song are printed on the inside of the
back cover of the commencement program please
rise
[ Music ]
[ Applause ]
congratulations once again to all
of our graduates we so enjoy being able to
come together today to celebrate your accomplishments
we send you all of our best wishes for your
health and safety and that of your family
and friends before we end we want you to know
that you can view all the Grad moments slides
for your school or college at the conclusion
of the ceremony and stay tuned until the end
of the recessional for a surprise appearance
by everybody's favorite husky the 145th commencement
exercises of the University of Washington
are now closed
[ Music ]
