An In-Person Ceremony For This Year And Last Year’s Graduates

PURCHASE, NY — When Manhattanville College decided that a limited, in-person graduation ceremony would be safe, last year's graduates were not forgotten.

Manhattanville College’s 2020 graduates finally got their turn to walk along with their 2021 classmates at five separate in-person end-of-year commencement ceremonies. The ceremonies were divided into three commencements for undergraduates and two for the school’s Master's and doctoral students.

Manhattanville was not only among a handful of colleges in the region to offer in-person ceremonies this year, but the school also took the extra step of making room for last year’s graduates. The 179th graduating class missed out on a commencement walk due to pandemic-related restrictions.

The ceremonies were divided into smaller groups to comply with capacity limits and social distancing recommendations.

Approximately one-third of the more than 1,300 graduates walking in the ceremonies were from the class of 2020, school officials said. The class of 2020 graduates waited over a year to officially mark the occasion.

“I’m so happy I actually got a chance to come down here and celebrate and have a last hoorah with all my friends,” class of 2020 grad Helena Rampersaud said. “It’s been a really hard year.”

Honorary degrees were awarded to Ethel Kennedy, New York City Civil Court Judge Emily Morales-Minerva, and a posthumous award was presented to Judith Johnson, Peekskill School District’s first woman and African American Superintendent of Schools.

Judge Morales-Minerva delivered the undergraduate address. The graduate address was given by Kerry Kennedy on behalf of her mother.

“Everyone here has surely dreamt of this moment growing up or later in life. You and yours have a right to feel all types of understandably contradicting emotions,’’ Judge Morales-Minerva told both the 179th and 180th graduating classes. “Happy, sad, angry, unsure, anxious and all these things at once, still — despite your unique struggle — you carried out, with courage and determination, everything required of you to earn your degree.’’