On May 15 and May 16, Eastern Connecticut State University returned to its Willimantic, CT, campus for the first time in 13 years to hold graduation exercises.

Since 2009 the University has held Commencement at the XL Center in Hartford. Due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the University's 131st Commencement was held outdoors on the grounds of nearby Windham Technical High School. Two sessions for 2021 undergraduates were held on May 15 to manage social distancing, as well as a separate session for graduate students. On Sunday, May 16, the Class of 2020 returned to campus for an in-person ceremony.

Eastern presented honorary degrees to Saturday's three commencement speakers, including Jeffrey Flaks, president and CEO of Hartford HealthCare; Mark Boxer, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the University of Hartford; and Maryam Elahi, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal was a special guest and speaker at the afternoon ceremonies on May 15 and at Sunday's graduation for the Class of 2020.

Over the course of the two days, 700 undergraduates of the Class of 2021, 61 graduate students, and more than 200 members of the Class of 2020 attended the Commencement Exercises, along with more than 2,000 guests for the four events.

Class of 2021

Speaking at both undergraduate exercises on Saturday, Senior Class President Nour Kalbouneh '21 told her classmates, "No matter what life adventure you take on next, learn to be comfortable - comfortable with failing, comfortable with taking risks, comfortable with having a plan and then having life completely ruin it, comfortable with being wrong, and comfortable with learning, growing and changing as a person. I hope you take your new wisdom and use it to fight for what's right, let your voices be heard, and make the world a better place."

Flaks, who spoke at the morning exercises on Saturday, is an innovator and leader in the healthcare field, overseeing a $4.3 billion enterprise serving more than 1.7 million patients and customers.

"You are about to embark on the next chapter of your lives," said Flaks, "and I want to offer three pieces of advice that have served me well. First, 'dream big.'"

Flaks shared that his grandfather, an immigrant from Turkey in the early 1900s, taught him to work hard and believe in himself. His grandfather became a CPA and saw his own son attend an Ivy League law school. "What will you do with your own big dream?" Flaks asked the graduates.

His second piece of advice was to be resilient. "If you want to hear a good laugh from God, tell him your plan . . . Everything you went through this year is an essential part of your college education that will never appear on your transcript. I am certain it will be one of the most impactful lessons - truly once in a lifetime.

"Finally, serve others. Be generous with your time and your talents . . . I expect great things from you!"

At the afternoon session, honorary degree recipient Mark Boxer described his family's experiences during COVID-19: his oldest daughter got married, his younger daughter started graduate school and a good friend had his first child - "And you are all graduating! You all persevered through this pandemic and finished your education socially distanced, wearing masks, in a highly virtual manner, but you accomplished what you started. The pandemic did not define you. Your accomplishment today does. Savor the moment."

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal spoke at the afternoon ceremony on Saturday, telling the graduates, "Your last year at Eastern has been marked by grit, grace, and yes, gratitude. It was marked by heartbreak and hardship, but also by renewal and hope. You are better prepared than any recent class to face the challenges to come. I ask you to make the same compact that every generation makes - to leave this country better than you found it."

Eastern President Elsa Nunez reminded the Class of 2021 of the realities of COVID-19 - remote learning, social distancing and limited contact with faculty and friends. "Instead of complaining, instead of 'mailing it in,' or worse, giving up, you put your head down, kept your chin up, and forged ahead. You discovered an inner strength that will serve you well for the rest of your lives. You stretched yourself even more than you had before.

"You have a courage and a determination that will mark this Class of 2021 for years to come. You now share a resolve and a strength of heart that confirms that each of you - by yourselves or united together - can meet any challenge, stare it in the face, and stand tall in its wake."

Graduate Division 2021

At the Saturday afternoon ceremony for Master of Science graduates in Accounting, Education, and Organizational Management, Maryam Elahi, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, applauded the graduates for their hard work and perseverance.

Elahi, who grew up in Tehran, Iran, described her grandfather's commitment to helping others: "He would hand out portions of his wages to laborers on the street, telling them, 'this is your share."

While a senior in college studying biology and planning a career as a neurosurgeon, Elahi confronted South African apartheid and it changed her life. "Follow your conscience and speak to power," Elahi urged the graduates. "Do not allow apathy and cynicism into your soul."

Class of 2020

In May of 2020, the Class of 2020 was limited to a virtual commencement on YouTube due to the national shutdown following the outbreak of COVID-19. On Sunday, May 16, more than 200 of those graduates returned to campus for an in-person ceremony.

Jane McBride Gates, interim president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System, gave the commencement address to the Class of 2020. "Since March 2020, you have experiences unimaginable, life-changing experiences during one of the hardest times in the history of our country," said Gates. "You endured testing, isolation, quarantine, Zoom fatigue and a sense of loss of identity. Eastern's liberal arts education has challenged you to solve problems and helped you learn which ones to solve and why. You entered a world that needs your talents, insights and compassion."