A new WVU graduate marks the transition from student to alum during December Commencement Saturday (Dec. 21) at the Coliseum. (WVU Photo/Jennifer Shephard)
Armed with resilience and perseverance, more than 1,000 August and December West Virginia University graduates poised for success participated in two Commencement ceremonies Saturday (Dec. 21) at the Coliseum.
“As you take your next steps into the wider world always remember that your WVU degree has value and will open doors for you, just as it has for thousands of successful alumni before you,” WVU President Gordon Gee told the graduates. “Even if you make a few detours — your Mountaineer spirit will launch you to unimaginable heights.”
The epitome of a successful alumnus, two-time WVU graduate and vice president of operations for MetroNews, dubbed the “Voice of West Virginia,” Hoppy Kercheval was awarded a Presidential Honorary Degree during the morning ceremony days after announcing his retirement from his longtime statewide talk show, “Talkline.”
Continuing the University’s tradition of recognizing a teacher during December Commencement, David Riggle, a world history and special education math teacher at Tyler Consolidated Middle School who is passionate about serving others, was also awarded a Presidential Honorary Degree during the ceremony.
Reiterating Gee’s sentiments, Vice Provost Mark Gavin said, “Reflect on your own efforts — your own triumphs, the stops and starts, and all the times you thought you couldn’t go any farther, only to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get right back to work. It’s that grit and determination that defines the Mountaineer spirit. It is that confidence and resilience that carried you across the most admirable of finish lines to today.”
Among those crossing the finish line was first-generation college student AJ Rodriguez, an Austin, Texas, native, member of the women’s soccer team and graduate from the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and Robin Anderson from Worthington who earned her Regents Bachelor of Arts degree at the age of 60 while working full-time with the WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement.
A standout player on the soccer field with dozens of loyal fans showing up to cheer her on when the Mountaineers competed in Texas, Rodriquez struggled academically at times. However, through perseverance and support from her coaches and academic advisers, this identical twin from a large family also achieved success off the pitch as the first college graduate in her family.
Anderson juggled her full-time job, studies and a family life that included caring for her husband during his cancer treatments, and after 15 years, her steadfast determination paid off as she proudly received her diploma from WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement Associate Vice President and Dean Jorge Atiles.
Chancellor and Executive Dean for Health Sciences Dr. Clay Marsh encouraged graduates in the afternoon ceremony to give from their hearts to change the world for the better, while Nitin Kumbhani, an alumnus and leading executive in software development and investment management, encouraged graduates to find their passion and “dream big.”
Kumbhani, who was awarded a Presidential Honorary Degree, also underscored the importance of hard work, discipline and dedication in making dreams come true.
Sitting among the graduates in gold and blue regalia was Amelia Adams of Weirton, a shining example of how hard work and dedication can turn a career dream into reality. Adams worked as a tech in the surgical pathology lab at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital prior to being accepted into the pathologists’ assistant program, and now she will return to that same lab as a pathologists’ assistant and the program’s newest faculty member.
Referring to the blockbuster movie “Wicked,” Gee said, “Madame Morrible told the students of Shiz University ‘We have the highest hopes for some of you.’ But unlike her, I am confident that all of our students will achieve success.”
Other honorable mentions include:
• Acclaimed professors of physics and astronomy Duncan Lorimer and Maura McLaughlin served as faculty grand marshals, with Lorimer leading the graduates into the morning ceremony and McLaughlin presiding during the afternoon ceremony.
• Gabriel Turak of Morgantown graduated summa cum laude in 2.5 years with a dual degree in mathematics and electrical engineering.
• Ciara Davis-McCloy, a math teacher at Lewis County High School, earned a master’s degree in economics as a member of the inaugural WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics Kendrick Educators Program cohort.
View an updated and downloadable Commencement Weekend photo gallery.
See a WVU Magazine photo essay.
Read more about the honorary degree recipients and faculty grand marshals.
Watch recordings of the ceremonies in the WVU Commencement webcast archive.
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