The word “commencement” comes from an Old French root meaning “to begin,” which is what the Class of 2021 does today. They begin a new adventure as they move their tassels from right to left. Some know what is next, and others don’t.
“This day means so much that I can’t put in words,” said Dorcas Lanyero, an information technology graduate from Uganda. “It’s been a really long time for me. I graduated from high school seven years ago, and there’s been several challenges along the way. And for seven years I’ve been trying to graduate, and finally, I am graduating.” Lanyero will be working remotely in Greenville for a software engineering company in Pennsylvania. “I am just so thankful that God has made this day come finally. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but here we are.”
While Lanyero knows what the next chapter holds, criminal justice graduate Michelle Meroff does not. “I’m headed home for a couple months to work at Home Depot, and then I’ll be moving down here in July for a job,” she said. “A lot has happened in the last few months, and it’s only showing me that God has something for me, and even though I don’t know what that is, I’m so excited for whatever He has.”
Overall, today is significant to students because it’s “the accomplishment of four long, hard years,” in the words of Grant Proctor, health sciences graduate. “I’m pretty excited to be done and you know, looking forward to spending time with family tonight and celebrating.”
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