University President Kristina M. Johnson and Emmy award-winning reporter and former central-Ohio broadcast news anchor Jerry Revish preside over the virtual Autumn Commencement. Credit: Owen Milnes | Campus Producer
From an empty Covelli Center, the fall class of 2020 was commemorated at the university’s third virtual — and University President Kristina M. Johnson’s first — commencement ceremony.
At the ceremony, which was the 426th in university history, the university awarded about 3,938 degrees — 196 doctorate degrees, 431 Masters degrees, 3,293 undergraduate degrees and 18 graduate professional degrees — and certificates to the fall class of 2020, Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for student life, said.
The almost hour-long ceremony was broadcasted on the university commencement website and on the Ohio Channel and featured remarks from Emmy award-winning reporter and former central-Ohio broadcast news anchor Jerry Revish.
Spaced out from the other speakers in the Covelli Center, Revish told the class that everyone is the sum of their experiences and in the backdrop of the graduation: COVID-19, climate change, racial unrest and political division — these experiences will make them who they are.
Revish said he was sorry for “the mess” of a nation the graduates will be making their way in, but advised them to have faith in the truth.
“There’s another virus loose in the country. One that carries misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories and the only vaccine for that is the truth. Always remember that the education you’ve received has been based on facts. True things,” Revish said. “And because you’re the sum of your experiences, you must apply those truths to your life.”
Johnson said in the uncertainty of the pandemic, the most specific advice she could give would be to practice the “three fundamentals:” optimism, kindness and community.
“When we combine positivity with persistence we are most powerful as human beings, and we can crack open doors that otherwise would have remained shut,” Johnson said. “So stay sunny, even in dim times, and have faith in yourselves.”
Johnson also said the pandemic has taught how anyone can make a difference by wearing a mask to protect others, and she hopes graduates apply this lesson to combating racial injustice and climate change.
“Each of us can make a difference just by deciding to do the right thing every day, speaking up against bias when we see it, minimizing our own contribution to greenhouse gas emissions by consuming less, wasting less and actively working to alleviate suffering and environmental degradation, ” Johnson said. “Small changes add up.”
Last year, the university awarded 3,778 degrees to the autumn class of 2019. This year’s commencement marked a more than 4 percent increase in degrees from the year before, continuing the university’s streak of largest graduating classes for the sixth consecutive year.
Revish said students who are uncertain about what to do with their degree should not worry because it will come to them in time.
“Where you start is not where you’re going to finish,” Revish said. “Not everyone will see your value or your potential. Just make sure you see it.”
