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Nearly 500 members of the Class of 2020 gathered on the Middlebury main quad with family, friends, faculty, and staff on Tuesday to finally celebrate their Commencementa rite of passage denied them in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic cut short their time oncampus.

Your memories of the last time you were here must be powerful. I know they are for us, said President Laurie Patton in her Baccalaureate address, which was included in the main ceremony. It was snowing off and on the week of March 10, 2020. You must remember. I certainly do. We left each other with shock and disappointment andtears.

At the time of their departure, Patton said, they faced not only the isolation, fear, and loss from the pandemic, but also the immense challenges of starting postcollege lifefinding jobs and places to liveamid a nationwidelockdown.

Considering these extraordinary circumstances, what can we say to you? And do for you? asked Patton. I believe we can do two things: First, we can welcome you home, to your first, most unusual Reunion. And second, at the very same time, we can give you a proper celebration which creates closure, a sense of an ending to your Middleburycareers.

Two members of the classMollie Smith, an anthropology major from Marblehead, Massachusetts, and Jack Litowitz, a double major in economics and philosophy from Glencoe, Illinoisdelivered the traditional student Commencementaddress.

Smith asked her classmates not to define themselves by the turbulent yearson campus and nationallythat marked much of their college experience. Rather, she encouraged the class to rethink their own story of who they areto not be merely that class that missed out on so many things. She reminded them of just a few of their major accomplishments as Middlebury students, including winning national championships and leading the College to fossil fuel divestiture and the launch of a Black Studiesprogram.

This ceremony today is an opportunity for celebration, for we are finally able to honor the pivotal years we spent together, said Smith. At the same time, its also an opportunity for closure and for reflection, two things that are often neglected in our fast-paced quotidian routine. Its a chance to take stock of the good times and bad that made up not just the last four years, but the last six, and how they have shaped us both individually and as aclass.

Litowitz noted the remarkable fact that, unlike any previous graduating class, the Class of 2020 had already glimpsed the future. Never before has a graduating class established the beginnings of a formal legacy outside of the stone walls and green hills of Middlebury prior to their official Commencement ceremony. Yet, that is exactly what we have done. I stand before you today not to say, The future looks bright, but instead with the incredible fortune to say, We already reside in a bright future, and it will continue to shine brighterstill.

Jason Collins, a retired National Basketball Association (NBA) player, gave the Commencement address and was presented an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. After the 20122013 NBA season concluded, Collins publicly came out as gay in a cover story for Sports Illustrated. He was the first male active player in any of the four major American professional sports to announce that he was gay. Former President Obama expressed his gratitude to Collins for his courage and said he couldnt be prouder of Collins, recognizing this as a point of progress for the LGBTcommunity.

After a quick introduction, Collins jumped right into advice for the class. So now we get to the fun part where I get to impart some lessons that Ive learned over the course of my tall, big, black, beautiful, gay, fabulous life, Collinssaid.

Collins encouraged the graduates to not overlook repetition and mastery of the smaller tasks in life as they prepare for bigger challenges. He urged them to take the time to find their own role in life and then be the very best they can, even if its not in a starring role. He also asked them to always be goodteammates.

Ask yourself: Are you someone that cares about others especially when they are struggling, off balance, and maybe knocked down? And will you reach out your hand to help more than just the people in your immediate circle? Be that good teammate for your family, your friends, your neighbors. But also be that good teammate for someone who doesnt look like you, or someone who doesnt have the same background as you, because I think the teamand Im talking about society nowis made stronger when you support and care aboutothers.

Each graduate received a replica of Gamaliel Painters cane, presented by Janine Hetherington 95, president of the Middlebury Alumni Association. The cane is a symbol representing the founding of the College and now is used as the mace for official academic ceremonial events. Patton noted that the canes have many stories connected to them, including stories of the workers who made them, the trees that provided the wood, and the Native Americans who cared for theforests.

We are only beginning to tell these stories, and we ask you to remember them as you journey from here, she said. These canes are a symbol of the historical ties that bind us all to this institution, the generosity that supports us, and the hard work and learning that brought you to this place today as a graduate of MiddleburyCollege.

In addition to Collins, honorary degrees were presented to thefollowing:

Allison Burroughs 83, a judge for the United States District Court ofMassachusetts.

Marta Casals Istomin, a renowned musician known for her work as a cellist and her dedication to musicaleducation.

Kim Collins Parizeau 79, P12, 15, 19, an alumna and the former chair of the Middlebury Board of Trustees, a board she served on for 16years.

Ernie Parizeau P12, 15, 19, a professor of the practice at Middlebury College and an advocate of experiential education andentrepreneurship.

Read more about the honorary degreerecipients.

Two students were recognized with College honors: Sarah Laurynn Nelson, a molecular biology and biochemistry major from Spokane, Washington, was named valedictorian, and Nicholas Hunter Mosier, a double major in computer science and mathematics from Tucson, Arizona, was namedsalutatorian.

Also as part of the ceremony, Associate Chaplain Rabbi Danielle Stillman gave the Colleges land acknowledgment and invocation. Ukrainian-American soprano Teryn Kuzma performed the Ukrainian song Remind Me, Bandura, of Your Song. Mariia Dzholos 24 read the poem History of Snow by poet Serhiy Zhadan in Ukrainian and English. Additional music was performed by Miranda Seixas 20; George Matthew Jr., carillonneur; Timothy Cummings, bagpipe; and the Constitution BrassQuintet.

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Class of 2020 Celebrates Long-Awaited Commencement - Middlebury College News and Events