May Graduation | Neumann University

Neumann Celebrates Two Classes in Ceremony-Filled Weekend

With the pandemic still a worrisome factor in daily life, Neumann took a creative approach to host in-person graduations, scheduling three for the Class of 2021 on Saturday, May 15, and another three for the Class of 2020 on Sunday, May 16.

Students graduated in groups of approximately 100, each permitted to have only two guests at the event. The six commencement exercises were held outdoors, under a tent on the front lawn of the Mirenda Center. Guests were seated in pods to observe social distancing guidelines.

Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s ambassador to the United States, spoke at the 1 p.m. ceremony on Saturday. He and his wife Greta received honorary degrees from the university.

“The world that you are entering may be a less dangerous one, without the threat of nuclear conflict between East and West, than the world of 1980 when I entered the foreign service,” said Ambassador Mulhall, “but you will be living in a far more complex world with complex challenges: the changing environment, pandemics, cyber attacks.”

He advised the graduates not to be complacent. “With dedication, determination, and a continued commitment to learning, the sky is the limit.”

In her commencement address, Valedictorian Amanda DeCarolis reminded her classmates of the obstacles that they had overcome: “This year [of COVID] taught us through its challenges that while not every day is a good day, there is good in every day. We learned new ways to communicate, learn online, and work, all while striving to gain real-world work experience in an everchanging and challenging job market.”

The Neumann Class of 2021 also included …

Halle and Jillian Crane: The twin sisters came to campus from a small town in Ontario, Canada, in 2016, and their college careers have been as similar as they are. Both played ice hockey and golf, both graduated with degrees in Nursing, and both landed jobs at Christiana Hospital where they will start on the same day, July 12.
Christian Bjorkelo: Christian’s mother, Lisa, received the Sr. Kathleen Cronin Award for Excellence in Graduate Nursing in 2012 and teaches senior-level Nursing courses. Christian won the Camin Excellence in Biology Award this year.
Kaitlyn Tracey and Carli Trice: Both young women have committed to a year of service, Kaitlyn with the Jesuit Volunteer Crops and Carli with the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers.
Daniel and Julia Clifton: The married couple both received the MS in Business and Organizational Leadership.

Approximately eight hundred degrees were awarded during the two days although about half of the Class of 2020, for which there was no in-person event last year, did not attend their delayed ceremony.