Music and photo slide show of the class of 2020.
"Pomp and Circumstance" music and slide show of the class of 2020.
Pace University welcomes you to the Seidenberg
School of Computer Science and Information
Systems virtual celebration.
Dear graduates, parents, friends, faculty,
and members of the Seidenberg community,
We have been imagining this graduation day,
this celebration together, in very different
ways from the way that we have ended up celebrating
it today.
I had hoped to shake your hand–or give you
a hug--as you walked off the stage in your
academic robes and your best shoes.
Today we mark your great accomplishment from
the relative safety of our own homes as the
technology that you have studied and mastered
enables the global economy to keep working.
While we are not celebrating on stage together,
we are commemorating this wonderful occasion
nonetheless.
Graduation is a great accomplishment, and
graduation from the Seidenberg School is a
particularly great accomplishment - your course
work in our programs is not for the faint
of heart.
It is rigorous and challenging, but the degree that
you are receiving today is a ticket that gains
you entrance to two very special clubs.
As a newly minted member of the Techie Club,
you now have access to the Big Tech firms
and the coolest new startups.
As a member of the Seidenberg Alumni Club,
you are now one of thousands of talented industry
professionals who work at the leading companies
of our time.
They provide you with a network of leaders
who will be mentors and coaches to you as
you move through your post-graduate life.
I want you to take a moment to think about
the time you have invested here at Pace.
In addition to the hard work you have put
in, you have built and sustained great friendships,
meaningful relationships with your professors
and advisors, and with this wonderful City
and State of New York.
These relationships are yours to keep.
Honor them , invest in them.
As you go forth into the world, honor and
invest in yourself and remember that you will always
have a home at the Seidenberg School.
We are so very proud of you and all that you
have accomplished.
You are going to go far.
On behalf of the Seidenberg community, please
accept our congratulations and profound appreciation
for being a Seidenberg student.
I look forward to seeing you online in the
coming days and trust that soon, we will be
able to celebrate this great accomplishment
together in-person.
My best wishes to you all.
And now I’d like to send it over to our amazingly
talented student singer Alyssa Chambers for The National Anthem
the National Anthem.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" as sung by Alyssa
Chambers '20.
Thank you so much, Alyssa, for that beautiful
performance.
We are now going to hear from our three student
speakers.
We will begin with the undergraduate student
speaker from New York City, Heather Farley.
Followed by the undergraduate student speaker
from Pleasantville, Brent Cameron.
And finally, from our graduate student speaker
Tandieka Stephens-DeClemente.
Hello, Class of 2020.
My name is Heather Farley from the Lubin School
of Business, and it is absolutely surreal
to be here right now-- on Zoom.
Because I can't believe that a little less
than four years ago was our freshman orientation.
It’s where many of us made our first friend
at Pace--including me.
I met my first Pace friend during one of the many
lectures at Orientation where various professors
and upperclassmen kept telling us that we
need to “get grit”.
We became friends when, for maybe the seventh
time in only a few hours, someone was telling
us to “get grit” and quite frankly we were tired of hearing that.
My first friend’s name is Brittany, and
we actually ended up being roommates.
Eventually, Brittany and I learned that even
though that we were annoyed at how often we were
told to get grit at Orientation, that they
were right-- if we wanted to make it in New
York City, we had to get grit.
I’m sure the students here watching know what
grit is, because for years it’s been drilled
into us, but for the family members out there,
grit is a term coined by Angela Duckworth,
who is a highly awarded scholar.
She defines grit as passion and perseverance
for long term goals.
It’s about falling seven times, but getting
up eight.
It’s about unabashedly believing in yourself,
and showing it with your actions.
Brittany and I began to develop grit in our
own separate ways starting in our freshman
seminar.
Our professors had us create a four year plan
called the Pace Path to map out exactly what
we would do in order to get to where we wanted
to be post-grad.
Theoretically, this sounds like a fool proof
plan.
Just write out what you want to do post-grad
and make steps for how to get there.
Unfortunately, the reality was that half of
us didn’t know what we wanted to major in,
or what we were having for breakfast tomorrow,
let alone where we wanted to be in four years.
Our freshmen seminar professors tried to inspire
us by asking what motivates us, what gets
us up in the morning.
Brittany said that she was inspired by music,
so she looked to work at a record label.
I said that I was inspired by money, so I
looked to Wall Street.
Brittany also said something else, though,
that has stuck with me throughout college.
She said that she was also motivated by happiness.
Brittany knew that grit was not only about
achieving goals, but cultivating happiness
and memories along the way.
So she decided to take one second videos of
every single day to document her college experience.
These one second snippets were meant to capture
one happy moment a day, and then she
would compile them into one huge video.
I remember asking her one day why she continued
to do it, day after day.
And she told me: “whenever I’m down, I like
to look at the most recent videos and remind
myself that yes, maybe I am  having a bad day, or
a bad week, or even a bad month, but if I
look back on these videos, I remind myself
that every day was worth it because one happy
thing happened.”
After that, she offered to show me the videos.
I saw candid snippets of our friends out on
a Friday and Mags, and snippets of the next
morning in the Pace caf, I saw snippets of
Brittany celebrating an A on a test and I
saw snippets of me celebrating a D after passing
a really hard math class.
Although the videos were only a second long,
the sentiment did last forever.
Brittany’s videos taught me that even if
the world is crashing around you, every day
will have a happy moment, and even if it’s just
for a second, it makes the day worth it
 
At the end of our senior year, the world actually
crashed.
Our senior spring ended abruptly and a lot
of us didn’t get a chance to say goodbye
to the place that we had called home for four
years.
We envisioned walking these halls after finals,
properly saying goodbye to friends who
would soon be moving across the country, saying
goodbye to our favored study spots where we
would cram until 4am, but mostly, we at least
envisioned being able to finish here.
There was no way that the Class of 2020 could
have calculated this into our our four-year plan.
These times are really, really tough.
There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of anxiety,
and a lot of fear.
But something that’s getting me through
it is the sentiment of Brittany’s videos.
I strive to find at least one happy thing
a day throughout the pandemic, and I actually find a lot of them.
At 7pm every day, the city erupts in cheers
for health care workers.
At 7pm every day, the city erupts in cheers
for health care workers.
And on my walks to the grocery store, I see
volunteers running errands for the elderly
who can't do it themselves.
Animal rescue care centers actually have no more
animals left, because so many people signed
up to foster during this time of need.
I see so much goodness, in a time filled with
so much sadness, and it actually makes me
hopeful for the Class of 2020.
Because of the pandemic, we’ll be graduating
into a world completely different than the
world we knew when we were in college.
But I know that we’re prepared.
Because for the past four years, we’ve learned
how to get grit.
For our entire college career, we’ve learned
how to persevere when times get tough.
We’ve learned how to step up to the plate
and help our neighbor.
During the pandemic, it has shown.
Pace students held online fundraisers for
COVID-19 patients and made homemade masks
for those in need.
Student leaders adapted and held club meetings
on Zoom, and on Instagram, students shared
self-care best practices for how to get through
the quarantine.
The pandemic has been the most trying time for
the Class of 2020.
But when faced with adversity, the Class of
2020 adapted and overcame.
We have a lot of people to thank for being
here today.
I’d like to thank Pace University on behalf
of the Class of 2020 for allowing us to celebrate
our achievements in a time where we were uncertain that we would be able to do so.
A little known fact is that Pace University
is the #1 private school in the nation for upward economic mobility
which inherently means that right now we have a lot of graduates watching who come from low-income areas who are going to make in big one day.
We have a lot of students watching who are
first-gen, including myself.
Because we’re the #1 school for upward economic
mobility, it means that a lot of us started
from the bottom.
It is especially important that people like
us get the platform to celebrate our achievements.
I’m thankful to Pace’s administration
for recognizing this
and it's one of many reasons that I’m Pace Proud.
The Class of '20 has a lot of people to thank.
On behalf of our graduates, I’d like
to thank our families.
Your unwavering support throughout this journey has
allowed us to blossom, and we’re forever thankful for that.
I’d also like to thank our roommates, who acted
as family away from family.
My roommates including Brittany, Bella, and
Nicki have become lifelong sisters to me.
I’d also like to thank the forever friends that
we’ve made at Pace.
At Orientation, I’m sure we knew that we
would make friends.
But I don’t think that anyone could’ve
anticipated how close we would’ve gotten
throughout these four years.
Alex and Annisa-- thank you for being my anchors,
for putting up with me, and the endless laughs.
I love you both.
And lastly, I’d personally like to thank
the Class of 2020.
Spending these last four years with you has
been an honor.
From all those nights at Mags, to all those
mornings in the Pace caf, our time at Pace
has been a movie, even though it had to be
cut short.
I’m so excited to see where you all go after
graduation,
and I’m confident you’ll do amazing things.
I know it, because I know that we finally
got grit.
Thank you for your time, graduates.
Godspeed.
And now I’d like to introduce our undergraduate
student speaker from Pleasantville, Brent.
Thanks, Heather.
Welcome President Krislov, trustee, honored
guests, officers of administration, faculty,
family and friends,
And last, but not least, welcome and congratulations
to the Class of 2020.
We've made it!
Despite being chased back into our homes,
by That-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named,
we have made it!
I am so proud to be here—in person with
all of you even if it is virtually.
—as we stand at the end of this collective
journey, and approach the threshold of our
individual ones.
I use the word journey because if you think
about it, our last four years at Pace University
have not been all that different from any hero's
journey.
Just like any great success story, yours began
with a call to adventure.
When you accepted the challenge to come to
Pace.
You crossed the threshold as you watched your
parents drive away.
Feeling a little like a scared mouse dropped
in a new field.
Yes, you were full of fear and excitement.
Your imagination churned away like a turbine
of what-ifs
But, before long, you had made too many friends.
And those fears gave way to temptations.
For example:
Choosing to go to late night parties with
Alex at Kessel,
Or to Paulie's, or to Townhouse parties, over
working on that paper.
The next morning, you found yourself in the
abyss or the belly of the whale.
With a few hours left to hand-in what you
had not yet started
Hunkered down in your dorm room like Dante
in the Inferno.
You bared your teeth, dug in, and worked your
way out of hell.
And when you completed that paper
a feeling of triumph percolated in your belly.
A feeling like Frodo looking over Mordor,
now restored to order.
Thus you, you've earned this stage of transformation
and atonement.
And each semester, you braved the return.
Each time getting that much stronger
and that much closer
to attaining the degree
Which has now become part of you.
And look at us now:
Strong as love.
And armed to the hilt.
Standing victorious over the bones of all
the challenges
That we've had to face and conquer
to get to this well-earned summit.
Joseph Campbell once wrote:
“You enter the forest at the darkest point,
where there is no path.
Where there is a way or path, it is someone
else's path.
You are not on your own path.
If you follow someone else's way, you are
not going to realize
your potential.”
This quote is inspired by the Arthurian
Legend of the Knights of the Round Table.
When King Arthur
and his knights set out to find
the Holy Grail, they each
chose a spot of the woods that looked darkest
to them.
Each chose a way
way that was uncertain, shrouded in fear,
and each chose a unique starting point.
Today, we are like those knights of old.
Now we need the will to do the work.
to earn the courage,
to be able to stand at that darkest starting
point, to forge a path to
our very own bliss.
So, follow that bliss of yours, no matter
what.
I say this with absolute urgency.
Because I was a high school dropout.
I refused the call of my own bliss
for far too long.
And believe me: you can pacify the guilt of a
dream deferred in a litany of curious ways
But you'll never truly silence it.
So, those of you, who want to be teachers,
go out there and teach people to think.
Those of you who want to be doctors and nurses,
go out there and make people well!
Those of you who want to
be writers, go out there and write the stories
that will change this world.
Go out there and make those dreams real because
this pandemic will end.
And life will continue.
I want to take this time to give a special
thank you
to all the administration, and faculty and
staff, who encouraged us
to reach our highest potentials.
I would also like to give a special thank
you to my lovely wife, Joyce.
And to my parents, who I never could have
done this without.
In fact, I think this a good time for all
of us to thank our parents, the administration,
the faculty and staff,
for all they have done to make this day possible.
It has been my sincerest pleasure to share
this experience at Pace University with all
of you.
Thank you.
Good luck and God bless!
And now I’d like to welcome our graduate
student speaker.
Thank you so much, Brent.
Fellow graduates, president, vice president,
deans, faculty, family, and friends.
I will begin my speech today with a quote
from Lubin’s dean, Neil Braun, "Life may
challenge you, and seem difficult at times,
it is through these difficult times I need
you to remember, there is always free pizza
outside classroom W404.”
End of quote.
I’m kidding; this is not an actual quote from Dean
Braun, but it's from the Instagram handle
@freefoodatpace.
I promise you this is a real Instagram handle
and my friend Irlanda can attest to that.
(Shout-out to you, Irlanda!)
My name is Tandieka Stephens-DeClemente; I
am an international student from Guyana, the
last of nine children, the second in my family
to complete college and graduate school.
I was raised by a single mom, and this is
my second master’s degree.
Today I want to talk to you about the international
student experience, my experience and the
lessons learned from it.
I will not attempt to give you life lessons,
as I am sure we have enough to go around this room.
I am confident some of us have had jobs, careers,
marriages, childbirth, and even divorces,
so I will not be sharing with you “ten steps
to have a successful life.”
Remember that Instagram page I mentioned before?
Well thanks to that page, I got free lunch
on the days I could not afford to buy any
when I was working as a graduate assistant.
Pace’s motto of Opportunitas has personal
meaning for me.
Opportunitas meant that a girl from one of
the smallest countries in South America had
the chance to sit on a panel and speak to
an audience that included the University’s
president and an assemblywoman from the great
state of New York
about the international student experience.
Opportunitas also meant that same girl would
have an audience via the university’s radio
so she could give a platform to international
students who wanted to talk about their culture.
The international experience radio show with
Tandieka was a way for me to introduce us
to the Pace community.
International students contributed 44.7 billion dollars
in 2018 to the US economy and according to
the Chicago tribune, we pay higher tuition
costs that offset costs for
domestic admissions and our high test scores
boost college rankings.
You're welcome.
I wanted to use my radio show as a platform to show
that we are more than these statistics, and I did!
Opportunitas also meant I had the liberty
to speak freely even when it was for the difficult things,
like calling OSA to ensure my classes
were not dropped because my tuition was not paid.
Dropped classes for an international student
could lead to deportation and I continually
lived with this fear.
There was a viral meme going around a few
years ago that suggested international students
eat Gucci-branded breakfast cereals and drove
Lamborghinis.
I'm sure many of you saw this meme.
The BBC wrote an article about that meme.
To quote that article, “but the truth is,
that the vast majority of the 400,000 international
students in the UK struggle to get enough
money to come and fulfill their dreams.
Usually, it’s the 'bank of mum and dad'
who are paying—and sometimes it’s the
whole family’s life savings that are put
into it."
End of quote.
The same rings true for students here across
the pond.
For those of us with no “bank of mom and
dad” and no family life savings, we have
succeeded in obtaining government scholarships,
graduate assistantships, and limited 20-hour a week jobs.
It is for this reason, we value the education
we came to receive at Pace even more.
And why we spoke up when we wanted professors
to expand more.
International students face extraordinary
challenges as it relates to employment, in general.
To complicate things further, you may hope--and
pray--that a company will hire you after you
graduate so that you too can experience the
“American Dream” but companies are reluctant
to spend money on a lottery system.
I believe universities can do more in this
regard by hiring the students they can.
My experience here at Pace was not perfect,
but it was valuable to reiterate the following:
One.
Always speak your truth; it is the only way
you will be heard.
Two.
Take advantage of every opportunity that is
presented to you
Three.
Be aware that everything is not always as
it appears, and ask questions when you’re unsure about something.
And finally, four: Always look for free food
before buying lunch.
Good luck, and congratulations to you all!
Thank you so much, Tandieka, that was wonderful.
I now have the pleasure of introducing Professor Frank Parisi, professor of Computer
Science, to present the Seidenberg student
awards.
Thank you, Dean Hill.
I am Dr. Frank Parisi, Clinical Professor
of Computer Science on the New York City Campus.
On behalf of the Seidenberg Computer Science
Department, I would like to congratulate all
of the graduates, their families, and loved
ones during this time of achievement and celebration.
As we navigate a changing world, we want each
graduating student to know that your hard
work and diligence in completing coursework
and exams has not gone unnoticed and we’ve
truly missed our last months of working with
you, both in and out of the classroom.
I hope that each of you is able to celebrate
and enjoy this very special moment in your journey.
This morning, the Seidenberg School of Computer
Science and Information Systems awarded School,
Departmental, and Special Awards in a separate
virtual ceremony, recognizing the hard work
and dedication to academic achievement and
extracurricular involvement at the undergraduate,
graduate, and doctoral levels.
As the names of our school awardees appear
on the screen, we hope that you’ll
cheer and make some noise for them, for
their great accomplishments!
We know that this time of year is often meaningful
and joyous in-person, however, we decided
to bring our community and celebrations to
you, at home.
The awardees have demonstrated devotion and
determination in their paths; whether receiving
awards for scholastic achievement, civic engagement,
or earning a Latin honor.
Each student has had a notable and significant
impact on the Seidenberg School.
We are truly honored.
As a Seidenberg School graduate, you have
a bright future ahead of you.
The field of Technology is constantly changing,
and opportunities are going to jump out at
you when you least expect them.
The talent and expertise that you cultivated
here at Pace will allow you to thrive, innovate,
and develop in whatever plan you take after
graduation.
As we reflect on the success of the awardees
and all of our graduates, I would like to
add my personal congratulations and well wishes
to each of you.
You’ve done it!
May your success and growth be reflected each
day, in your personal and professional lives.
We look forward to seeing you again in the
near future!
Congratulations!
Let me introduce my colleague, Dr. Pauline Mosley,
who will say a few words for the Pleasantville Campus.
Thank you, Dr. Parisi!
Hello and congratulations to all of our graduates!
I am Dr. Pauline Mosley, Assistant Chair and
Professor of Information Technology on the
Pleasantville Campus and I am truly delighted
to be able to be speaking today on behalf of the Seidenberg
School today.
All of us here at the Seidenberg School are
very, very excited to celebrate this momentous
time with our graduates and their families.
And while we’ve had to limit our in-person
celebrations, we’d like to let all of our
graduates know that we are here to congratulate
and applaud each of you! [claps]
As Dr. Parisi noted, earlier today, we celebrated
our award winners in a virtual ceremony to
acknowledge academic and extracurricular achievement,
both near and far.
Despite these challenging times, we were able
to celebrate with our students across the
globe, highlighting their dedication and contributions
to the Seidenberg School.
As in previous years, recipients of the Seidenberg
School awards are students who have not only
achieved academic greatness, but have made
a profound mark on our School.
Among our winners are students who have completed
the most projects, have conducted great research,
and have exemplified leadership, creativity,
and compassion in their fields of study.
Our awardees have also demonstrated their
talents to adapt and transform to the changing
needs of the technology world to find solutions
to some of the biggest issues we are confronted
with today.
As they continue along their paths post-graduation,
I am quite confident that great things are
on the horizon for them.
Whether our awardees will enter the workforce
or continue their education after graduation,
we know that they will go far.
Much of their success here at Pace University
and the Seidenberg School will be reflected
through motivation to change the technology
world around us.
We are thrilled to see where they're going
to go next!
As we continue to celebrate and reflect on
your individual paths at Pace University and
the Seidenberg School, we would like to encourage
you to come back and visit us!
Your contributions after graduation will help
us educate the next generation of technology
experts, and your leadership and mentoring
will be a staple for years to come.
We truly look forward to seeing you!
Awardees, I want to personally send my congratulations
to you, and all of our graduates, and your families.
I am truly inspired by their success and accomplishments.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
And now I will send it to our Provost, Dr.
Vanya Quiñones.
Hello, I am Vanya Quiñones, the Provost of
Pace University, and today I have the privilege
of announcing the winners of our University-wide
awards.
The first award, the Trustees Award, is presented
to the graduating student whose academic
accomplishments and positive contribution
to the University life and who exemplify the
highest level of achievement for an undergrad.
I am pleased to present Jamie Rizzo for the
New York City Campus award and Richard Harris
for the Pleasantville Campus award with the 2020
Trustees Award.
The second award is the Community Service Award.
It's presented to the graduating student
whose contributions to the University community
and our surrounding communities most admirably
embody the value of social responsibility.
I am pleased to present Tsun-Chueh Huang from
the New York City campus and Ashley Aiosa
from the Pleasantville Campus with the 2020
Community Service Awards.
Congratulations to the award winners, and
to the school and college award winners, for
your impressive accomplishments!
And to all of you--our graduates--congratulations.
I know this semester has been challenging,
but I also know that you are resilient.
You are graduating today because of your resilience,
and your perseverance, and your ability to
succeed through extraordinary times.
This, in part, is what Pace taught you.
I am proud of you for remaining focused and
finishing strong.
I am proud of your persistence and I know
it will continue to pay off.
Please join me in thanking your faculty and
staff, who worked tirelessly during your tenure
at Pace and especially this semester.
They are resilient, too, and they adapted
pretty quickly for you to be able to complete your work.
I’ve been thinking about what is the impact
of this pandemic on your last year, and the
impact that it will have on your future.
In a recent article, Rybo Chen wrote that
success and winning in life depends on grasping
the power of reflection.
That deep reflection empowers us to gain self-awareness
and to improve and become better humans.
In other words, as the great educator John
Dewey said, we don't learn from experience;
we learn from reflecting on those experiences.
And so, I know you don't want anymore homework
ever, but I'm going to give you a final homework
from Pace.
And my final assignment to you is to reflect
on the lessons-learned during your journey
at Pace.
And more importantly, to reflect on your incredible
accomplishments as we navigate through this
pandemic, today and in your future.
Because the world is changing in front
of us, you did it through these circumstances.
Despite all the obstacles, you are graduating
today.
Reflect on how you were able to do that.
I think that it's because you're adaptable,
because you're powerful, because you are resilient.
And I think you learned through us at Pace.
And reflecting on what lead you to that great
self-awareness, you will be continuing to grow and
succeed in your future.
So, Pace Class of 2020, remember Opportunitas.
Opportunity, which is the essence of your
education at Pace.
You said yes to opportunities and you seek
those opportunities.
Continue to do that.
Those opportunities that you've had here at Pace
are what make you powerful.
The world needs new ideas, your actions,
your bravery, your power.
Reflect on that, and always look to be a better
version of who you were yesterday.
YOU are Opportunitas in action.
You are Pace.
And so, I want to congratulate you, and I
want to thank the all the members of your
family and friends, who supported you through
your journey at Pace.
My hope and wishes are that you, your family,
and friends are safe, and healthy.
And I want to finish with the great words
of Elle from Legally Blonde who said….
You did it!
So be proud of yourselves.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
Now I have the best privilege of introducing
our president, Marvin Krislov.
Hello, Pace University Class of 2020.
Congratulations!
You have accomplished so much and you did
it, over these last few months, in an extraordinary
situation that made your task even more challenging.
You have earned your diplomas through intelligence,
persistence, determination, and, especially,
resilience.
You’ve excelled in your classrooms in your
labs, in jobs, internships, practica, service,
performance, and you’ve made friends and
mentors in this extraordinary community we
call Pace University.
I am so happy for all you have achieved and
I am so excited for the future ahead of you.
I want to take a moment to congratulate your
parents and families.
These are the people who have been your biggest
boosters your entire lives.
They have supported you through your time
at Pace and even more than anyone would have
expected through these last few months.
Parents and families, thank you for entrusting
us with these graduates.
Today is your accomplishment, too.
I also want to thank our dedicated faculty.
These last two months have been no easier
for you than they have been for our students.
Thank you for your hard work, thank you for
your adaptability, and thank you for your commitment
to helping these graduates get across the
finish line.
For all of us, this period has been tough—really
tough.
I know that all of you, and your families,
have been touched by the pandemic and the
response to it.
I know some of you have suffered loss in your
family.
We grieve together with you.
And I ask that everyone join me in a moment
of silence for those we have lost.
[silence]
Thank you.
As tough as these last few months have been, I
know that this period should not—and will
not—define your college education or your
graduate school experience.
You spent several years with us here at Pace,
and you learned so much—both inside and
outside the classroom.
You mastered your areas of study, and you
grew as people.
When you look back at your time at Pace, I
hope you will remember the totality of your
experience, not only the strange time we’re
currently living through.
But I want to talk for a moment about this
tough time and the lessons we can draw from it.
First, we learned, once again, just how small
the world is in ways both good and not-so-good.
The world economy and the world’s health
flow together.
Diseases travel, but so do good people, good
will, kindness, and humanity.
Every night at 7 o’clock, I join countless
New Yorkers to help clap, whistle, and cheer for
the essential workers who are helping us get
through these times.
I know that many of you and your families
are among those heroes.
If we were together in one room, I would ask
you to join me in applauding all our heroes,
all our essential workers.
Thank you.
Second, we learned that technology can keep
us together, even in times of crisis.
Many of us, as parents, have long worried
about too much screen time.
Right now, screens have been our saviors.
Technology has enabled us to meet individually
and in classes, to conduct business, and to
receive help in many ways.
It’s not always easy, but it’s working.
That’s an opportunity for you, the next
generation of leaders, to find a new way forward.
You can take this technology, join it with
a strong sense of mission and help tackle
some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Finally, we've learned how vulnerable we all
are and how much we can accomplish together.
We’ve been deeply challenged and we’ve
also rediscovered our common humanity.
We've relearned the values of empathy, kindness,
and community.
I encourage you to use the good we’ve seen
to help us tackle the bad.
Remember the stranger who was patient or kind,
the way we’ve all worked together, and use
that to further the greater good.
For example, we’ve seen the structural inequities
that are leaving the most vulnerable among
us shouldering the greatest burden, and we
know that's not right.
It is up to you to help tackle this inequity.
No doubt you have drawn other lessons from
this experience, too.
I am sure you will continue to ruminate on
what it has meant as you plot out your life
and your direction.
Ultimately, that is the purpose of education.
To push us to ask questions and to seek answers
to the deepest and most difficult problems.
Some of you will do that in business, marketing,
and finance.
Others will do it in science, health, or technology.
Some in law and justice.
Others in the arts and the humanities.
Whatever you do, you will take what you’ve
learned at Pace, you will take what you’ve
learned through this crisis, and you will
keep those lessons with you throughout your
lives and your careers.
I know this is a scary time to be launching
a career.
Another lesson of the last few months, as
one student put it to me, is that tomorrow
is not guaranteed.
That is true.
It is also a reminder that this is not forever.
Things will change and get better.
You need to be flexible and adaptable.
There are jobs to be found—even if they’re
not necessarily the jobs you expected.
Be creative.
Think about how to adjust.
Make tomorrow work for you.
And here is my final request.
Remember the good times you had at Pace University,
the friends and mentors you found, the relationships
you built, the experiences you treasured.
You can and will make a difference in the
world, each one of you.
You will use your Pace education to create
a better and stronger world for all us.
I am so proud of you, and we all look forward
to seeing you in person as soon as we can.
Congratulations, good luck, and please remember
to stay in touch with Pace University!
And now, for the most important part of this
celebration—I’m very pleased to introduce
the Chair of our Board of Trustees, Mark Besca,
for the conferral of your degrees.
Hello, Pace Class of 2020!
It's now time for the moment you've been waiting
for--the conferral of your degrees.
By virtue of the authority vested in me by
the State of New York and with concurrence
of the Pace University Board of Trustees,
I confer upon each of you, as approved by
the faculty of your College or School, the
appropriate degree in course with all rights
and responsibilities thereunto.
You are now officially Pace graduates.
Congratulations!
Class of 2020, you are now Pace University
graduates.
Congratulations!
We can't wait to see you at an on-campus Commencement
soon.
Have a wonderful day.
You have earned the right to celebrate.
But, before you go, here's some closing words
of inspiration:
Hi, this is New York State Senator Pete Harckham,
wishing the Pace University Class of 2020
congratulations on your graduation.
This is a major milestone, unfortunately,
you're graduating into the most uncertain
times in modern history.
Fortunately for you, Pace University has prepared
you with a world-class education.
Your country needs you and your community
needs you, and I challenge you to put your
skills to good use in rebuilding our economy
as we move forward through this pandemic.
So, congratulations and best of luck in your
future endeavors.
Hi, I'm George Latimer, Westchester County
executive.
And we want to extend congratulations for
all of you as graduates of Pace University.
This has been a spring like no other and in
many ways you may have missed out on some of the normal
enjoyment of a graduation year, but your exams
are behind you, your courses are behind you,
and you have earned your degree.
And that degree is an accomplishment that
will stay with you for the rest of your life.
It defines you as an individual that you can
tackle something and achieve, and we celebrate
that achievement.
We wish you the very best in the years to
come.
Congratulations!
Hello to Pace University!
This is Senator Chuck Schumer and it's my
honor to address the faculty and staff, family
and friends of the graduates, but most of
all, you!
The Class of 2020.
Now I'm really sorry I can't join you in-person
as I do just about every year, and I'm grateful
that modern technology allows us to still
be connected on this very special day.
As we all know, these are truly difficult
times.
Perhaps more difficult than most of us have
ever experienced.
There are two aspects of this pandemic that
make things all the more challenging.
First, is our uncertainty.
Our lack of knowledge.
How do we get the virus?
How do we spread it?
How does it affect different people differently?
When will we have an effective anti-viral
medication?
When will we have an effective vaccine?
And most of all: how soon can we get back
to normal?
And the second aspect of this virus, that
is just as bad, is that we have to isolate
ourselves!
We are New Yorkers.
During times of trouble, we like to come together
and embrace each other.
After 9/11, I stood with President Bush on
the pile, there were no partisan divisions.
We came together as Americans and as New Yorkers.
After Sandy, I walked the streets and beaches
of New York City and Long Island and literally hugged people.
But we can't do that now, we have to remain
isolated.
So, the challenges of this moment truly are
unique.
But so, has been our collective response.
The fact that we're all finding new ways to
do things, like celebrating this graduation
virtually, just goes to show you that New
Yorkers won't let anything—anything—stop
us from honoring what's so important in life.
Now, first, I'd like to say a few words to
the parents.
Nothing—nothing—will take away your decades
of hard work, raising your children, for which
they and all of us are so very grateful.
While this day may be tempered by worries
about the future, at least there's one silver
lining.
You're not seated way back in the balcony--you
get to sit next to your son or daughter and
give them a hug as they receive a diploma,
become an adult, before your very eyes.
Congratulations to the moms and dads.
And one more word of thanks.
Today, as we're celebrating right now, there
are men and women all across the state and
nation, who are serving on the frontlines,
risking their lives, in the battle against
the coronavirus.
Doctors, nurses, health care workers, pharmacists,
ambulance drivers, people who stack the food
in the supermarket and stand behind the counters
at pharmacies, police officers, fire fighters,
and so many more.
These people are our heroes.
And I'm working to create a COVID-19 Heroes
Fund, which would provide pandemic, premium
pay to all essential workers.
Let's have a virtual round of applause for
them.
And now to the Class of 2020, I know this
may not be what you pictured even a few months ago.
But today is still your day.
All of your hard work has earned you a degree
from a fine institution of higher learning
and nothing can take that away from you.
Right now, it may feel like the future is
a dark hole.
But what has been true throughout history
is just as true today: that even in times
of difficulty, there are always new opportunities,
new ways of thinking, doing things in a better way.
So, my message to the Class of 2020, is simple:
It's natural to fear the unknown.
But don't let the harshness of this current
moment prevent you from seizing opportunities.
They're out there.
And don't forget, you have incredible assets:
a college degree from a fine institution and
loving families who will have your back, through thick
and thin.
Our society will overcome this pandemic and
so will you.
And when the worst is over, we'll need your
help to rebuild our country even stronger
than it was before.
You are our future leaders, and we have faith in you.
And so to the graduates, we say once again,
congratulations!
Good luck. Godspeed.
Triumphant music.
