At Southern New Hampshire University's commencement, President Paul LeBlanc showcased the campus and celebrated 21,000 graduates, with many attending virtually. He highlighted the diversity and achievements of the graduates, including a gearbox assembly project and advanced machining work. The ceremony included speeches emphasizing resilience, diversity, support for one another, and lifelong learning. Graduates from various programs were acknowledged for their dedication to knowledge and fostering it in others. The event also featured a national anthem performance and a moment of silence to honor those who have passed. The legal conferral of degrees was conducted, followed by congratulations to the class of 2023. The Alumni Board President welcomed the new graduates to the alumni community and led the traditional turning of the tassel ceremony. The ceremony concluded with bagpipe music and applause.
Here are the extracted key facts from the text:
1. Paul LeBlanc is the President of Southern New Hampshire University.
2. The university has a STEM building with an Idea Lab.
3. The 2023 commencement ceremonies had 21,000 eligible graduates.
4. Many graduates attended in person in Manchester, New Hampshire, while thousands joined virtually.
5. Dr. Danny Tanguay is the Executive Director of the Education Programs at SNHU.
6. Dr. Carole Beauchemin is the Executive Director of the Liberal Arts programs at SNHU.
7. Lisa Marsh Ryerson is the University Provost at SNHU.
8. The commencement ceremony took place on the ancestral lands of the Abenaki nation.
9. The university has graduates from all 50 states and US Territories, 50 countries, and a wide range of cultures and faith traditions.
10. The ceremony included a moment of silence to honor those who came before the graduates.
11. The platform party included the chair of the SNHU Board of Trustees, Winnie Lerner, and representatives from the academic and executive leadership teams.
12. The university has a longtime closed caption provider, Deborah Knapp, and sign language interpreters, Heather Geisser and Kristen Chenowith-Curty.
13. The President of SNHU, Dr. Paul LeBlanc, introduced the student speaker, Jillian Bernhardt.
14. Jillian Bernhardt is a graduate from California who has been an actor since age 7 and completed her Bachelor's degree while working in the entertainment industry.
15. The student speaker, Jillian Bernhardt, spoke about the importance of resilience in the academic journey.
16. The Provost, Lisa Marsh Ryerson, and President LeBlanc conferred the degrees to the graduates.
17. The degrees conferred included International Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts, Master of Business Administration, and others.
18. The Alumni Board President, Aarron Dupuis, welcomed the new graduates into the SNHU Alumni Association.
19. The SNHU Alumni Association has over 232,000 members around the world.
20. The traditional turning of the tassel ceremony was held for undergraduate degree recipients.
21. The university's motto is "Summa Optimaque," which means "the greatest and the best" in English.