Commencement Class of 2021 Lacy School of Business
[Music] so [Music] good afternoon it is my honor and privilege as chief faculty to proclaim the opening of the 2021 butler university lacey school of business commencement exercises first i would like to thank professor michael coleman and the butler win ensemble thank you for providing the lovely music in the processional song at this time i'm pleased to introduce mr keith fowler chairman of the butler university board of trustees thank you professor cato as a former but unfortunately not recent graduate of lacey school of business it's my pleasure to welcome you to the butler university lacey school of business commencement ceremony i extend special congratulations to each member of the class of 2021 for reaching this very important milestone in their lives particularly in these tough times [Applause] some of soon you'll join the illustrious ranks of approximately 50 000 butler alumni who live in every state in our union and 71 countries throughout the world so you will never be very far from a fellow bulldog their careers and achievements attest to the quality of their butler experience and we assume that you will add to that legacy of experiences now i would like you to stand and remain standing for the playing of our national anthem by the butler wind ensemble conducted by professor michael coldbroom at the conclusion please be seated so [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] anna raider master of science and risk and insurance on behalf of the lacey school of business graduate students will now offer her thoughts on commencement gritty not pretty is a phrase used to describe butler basketball our bulldogs are known for being scrappy rather than perfect able to dig in and claw their way to victory their wins are purposeful and full of heart they do not rely solely on talent they fight i wish you could have been here with me in hinkle field house in january of 2013. butler was the underdog to gonzaga ranked eighth in the nation for espn's college game day at that time i was a junior at butler and my sister had graduated from gonzaga a few years prior my family is unbelievably competitive and bulldog versus bulldog was almost too much for any of us to handle the entire game was close but with gonzaga ahead with the ball and only 3.5 seconds left in the game i thought we were done i text my sister and conceded early obviously i had forgotten i was watching butler basketball in the hinkle magic in these walls 3.5
seconds left it took 3.4 seconds for roosevelt jones to steal the ball and sink a buzzer beater to give butler the win and give me bragging rights over my sister you and i proud members of the graduating class of 2021 were thrown a massive curveball just as we completed our respective degrees the covet 19 pandemic forced all of us to exemplify gritty not pretty it certainly wasn't pretty as we adapted to online learning sudden changes in course plans off-campus life for undergraduates and for the graduate students working from home becoming home school teachers job changes and shifts to routine all of this was done on top of the uncertainties and stresses of a global health crisis every person graduating today was pushed to get gritty as we approached our degree's finish line grit got us here today when it would have been easier to give in to the world's pressures and demands for this group of graduates gritty not pretty extends beyond hinkle field house completing our degrees was not possible on our own we have so many to thank today to our families thank you for being our cheerleaders and for believing in our own personal wise to our fellow classmates we thank you for being in the weeds with us and pushing us to grow beyond the classroom material and finally to the butler professors who got us here today you have without a doubt taken on more for this class of graduates than any before us you have altered your course plans learned new technology become support systems therapists at times all while managing your own challenges in becoming virtual teachers with the one added perk of teaching in your sweatpants this alternative form of teaching that you all have to become experts in was not in your original job description we would not be here without you thank you for all you've done for us thank you the completion of my masters of science in risk and insurance is my second degree from butler university as a now two-time graduate of this institution i feel i have strong ground to stand on when i say i know the heart of this university butler cultivates strong character encouragement and a willingness to take care of each other those values got us here today the proof is all around us it's in your teammates on either side of you it's in the grit the resolve and the tenacity of those who were not handed the easy route to success we are a diverse and powerful group of people i am honored to welcome this class of graduates those who perfectly exemplified gritty not pretty to the butler university alumni team thank you please enjoy our talented butler corrals performance of the road home with music by steven paulus and text by michael dennis brown thank you to dr eric stark and the butler university corral [Music] is [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is through here [Music] believe [Music] right [Music] [Music] is is [Music] [Music] [Music] at this time please welcome taylor fisher double major in finance and economics and this year's undergraduate student reflection speaker for the lacey school of business class of 2021 it is wonderful to see everyone here in person today congratulations let's enjoy this moment in our journey a journey that has been filled with hard work gratifying experiences laughter tears and some unexpected detours and dramatic changes from holcomb building to the new state of the art lacey school of business from young first-year students to well-prepared graduating seniors and from full classrooms to social distancing and mass we have changed and we have grown we all remember our first steps in the whole comp building where we took our first year business experience and started our holistic business education that is foundational to who we are today our exposure to a well-rounded business curriculum combined with experiential learning opportunities like internships case studies or even starting our own business in rbe has allowed us to refine our interests gain knowledge and for many of us change our majors over and over and over again all in preparation for the future but the formal education and hands-on experience were just part of the education it was the relationships with career mentors faculty alumni and one another that added to the richness of our experience at lacey school of business for many of us this richness included valuable international relationships and experiences whether you left the country to participate in an exchange program or made valuable connections with international students and professors here on campus these relationships combined with international business courses have prepared us for the global connectedness that defines business today no one could have anticipated how this global connectedness would impact the final year of our butler journey and while this was not the senior year we had all envisioned our ability to navigate a global pandemic demonstrated our resiliency and our ability to adapt the historic events of the last year have taught us valuable lessons we were reminded of the significance of civic responsibility both on a personal and corporate level we challenge traditional ideas and demanded businesses enhance the communities they work in and we emphasize the importance of having diverse inclusive teams to improve business decisions and our lives i hope the lessons of the past year help each of us better understand our civic duty as future business leaders it is our responsibility to lead businesses that are not just focused on profits but businesses that use innovation to make the world a better place for us and for future generations to come today as we celebrate our final steps as lacey school of business students i'm confident that we are all prepared to make a difference in our communities so to the faculty thank you for challenging us and expanding our knowledge to our families thank you for supporting us and to my fellow graduates thank you for the memories the friendship and the fun i can't wait to see all the incredible things we can accomplish congratulations and now the 21st president of butler university james danko so good afternoon everyone and welcome i want to start off by thanking our guests for being here today to celebrate our graduates given what we've experienced over the past year a year and a half i think we've gained an even deeper appreciation for the importance of social gatherings and the value of celebrating life's milestones together why we would prefer to have hinkle field house at full capacity i'm grateful that we are able to safely accommodate guests for this very special occasion to our graduates i want to congratulate you on the accomplishments that you that have brought you to this day graduating from college isn't easy it requires discipline a strong work ethic and an unwavering commitment even under the best of circumstances your discipline work ethic and commitment were really put to test during your academic experience at butler university you have done more than stay the course through a global pandemic you have seen major changes in government leadership and policy at the national level you have seen our country grapple with the racial injustices and inequities of its past and as present like never before within this larger context you have also confronted the personal academic and professional challenges that are fundamental to the college experience you have demonstrated your strength of character through your actions your friendships and your service to the larger community you have used your own unique talents to make our campus and the world a better place and for all of this i commend you your perseverance combined with the outstanding education you've received makes you exceptionally well prepared for the future all of us your family and friends your professors and butler staff members are proud of you and i hope that you feel this pride in yourselves as well you are about to embark upon an incredible new chapter in your lives and you've proven that no matter what it brings you've got this before we move on with our celebration i'd like to ask our graduating students to take a moment to reflect on all the people who've helped to get them here today please join me in thanking them now with a round of applause i also want to acknowledge our mothers on this mother's day weekend i know this is only added to a special weekend for you for graduates i wish each one of you enormous success as you begin your new journey as alumni lift up others who need help continue to serve your families friends and communities as you have here at butler and please come back and visit us often at this time i'm going to recognize dr kate morris provost and vice president for academic affairs but i also have to comment that uh haven't been provost for 10 years this is her final commencement uh with butler university as she's moving on to become the president at st lawrence in new york she's had a nearly 25-year very very successful career here and her leadership for 10 years has been fantastic and has really been beneficial over these last years in the last year and a half in particular so thank you dr morris and i'm going to give you the podium now thank you president danko for your kind words in the butler university graduating class of 2021 we have 257 graduate students and 978 undergraduate students in this ceremony for our students in the lacie school of business we have 95 graduate students and 247 undergraduate students congratulations on your academic work i'd like to take a moment to give special commendation to our students who have earned various academic honors which are distinguished by their special cords or stalls that are part of their academic regalia as specified in the virtual program many congratulations to our graduates who have earned these academic distinctions graduates your development as students is a direct consequence of the meaningful interactions you've had with faculty members both inside and outside of the classroom and graduates i ask that you take a moment to reflect on the transformative influence our faculty have had on your lives faculty will you please rise so that we may honor your role in our students educational success in addition to being wonderful teachers and mentors you've also been wonderful colleagues to me and i'm grateful to each of you for that graduates the diplomas that you are about to receive signify your academic accomplishments under the tutelage of this outstanding faculty grounded in the liberal arts and complemented with training in your discipline or profession of choice and graduates the faculty staff and administration are proud of you commencement is one of our proudest days on campus as you begin a new phase in your life please know that we trust you will be excellent ambassadors for your alma mater and we look forward to hearing from you about the ways in which you use your butler education in your life we will now present the graduate and undergraduate degrees i would like to invite all members of the graduating class to please stand mr president the candidates standing with us today have completed the requirements of their respective degrees they have been recommended by the faculty and approved by the board of trustees and i now present them for a conferral of their degrees on the recommendation of the faculty the provost with the approval of the board of trustees and by the authority vested in me i confer upon you the degrees recommended with all the rights privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto to those of you receiving your bachelor's degrees you may now move your tassel symbolizing your degree from the right side to the left side of your cap congratulations hello my name is scott bridge i am a lecturer in the eugene s pulliam school of journalism and i am also the internship director for the college of communication as your reader i kindly ask that you hold your applause to make certain all graduate names will be heard and to maintain the decorum of this important day once all graduates have been honored you may applaud their collective accomplishment i thank you for your respectful consideration and now i present the lacie school of business with dr hilary buttrick interim dean for the lacey school of business with students earning the following degrees master of arts master of business administration master of professional accounting master of science bachelor of science and bachelor of arts the names are read by graduate degrees and undergraduate degrees and in the order students are ushered to the stage charles hedgeback sydney nalia ethan hemer aaron marie hurley butler joseph oliver maureen smith evan link colin moore john kisling davina isaacs alison evans mark crawn john padgett maeve mccormick evan sweet kaylee ortiz bradley huth payton longest gregory drake caitlyn clement megan finnerty robert petrakis courtney flint jacob jacob robelski connor stevens gavin parrish ryan baim eleanor ugema alyssa garcia michael cataldo maxwell wickheiser kelsey hayes nicholas wong jonathan heck mindy ho connor fuller stephanie martin reagan bryant justin miller neil bott samuel griffin daniel gardner beau isaacs gracie griner nathaniel hillebrand blake roberts aaron pushik logan sanford claudia kirk megan glaze julia moochie brendan tucker margaret hunt natalia loscano lore monica blankenship daniella silber michael grimm taylor fisher caroline zuhon aaliyah rashid nicholas arnold thomas beckman anna rader davis thompson megan reinhardt aaron thompson tina marie cox luke edwards benjamin schultes p.j garcia matthew kernut jack woods thomas hosty ethan king j.r bolden justin savona grace wagoner michael cohen emily corona hannah ashby alexandra armstrong kierra roseboro ashley stephs calista flowers claire werner brittany walther brianna sanchez jacob butler sam williams robert krieloff william moran raymond krieloff claire mosher william hyler francisco casa bennett kiley robert sink spencer fairbanks spencer wolfe mary bridget ginn abby marcum gabrielle amstutz olivia wagner maxwell williams emily voe edward greenspan benjamin greenblatt newman jack peterson alexandra borchevsky jack carlin andrea hagener samuel cox navnit carr donald gavigan evan dieterle amelia wilkie meyer andrew jiwala mallory smits jack kirkpatrick graham wright david strickman daryl woodcock lowry reuter benjamin jansen griffin fischbach laura kiefer burr nicholas ebel nicholas owens joseph zimpher mario giannini brandon gansell trent thompson emily holdeman ian murray madison siegworth jonathan walrick zachary spandy joseph crisco joseph zuccari angelina ellis jacob valdick david lauber andrew gast brady murphy kelly kingston anthony sartorelli natalie blair kyle lodereck haley schlottauer kurt helmick morgan rogusta nicholas zeitler cassandra milady claire bert reagan vance natalie ravenel greer garvin julia calvert boaz dorvalus connor oswald brian massouga krista schwenke jack javierkowski grant emrick william myers patrick collier peyton black abby sisson taylor crow madison tiley nicholas lucas isabel nasser michael kane catherine conlon zachary krebs grace gabert max egenoff eric brooks dimitri alexapolis alexander lewis sarah hoshaw evan cobb holden semantic jack whalen christopher scott victoria wide gavin johnson kylie miller beau snugs kelly stone rachel jennings luke labaz john bickel bryce miner garrett amato andrew bond ryan tremolin kayla reeves andrew dingman isaiah espinosa john eppley matthew webb ryan dybal anna segovia jake villanue jenna cohen braden pershing garrett kern drew majoras benjamin hussey john glenn andrew labelle joseph spencian ryan price noah weiss austin wagey madison smith kayla delaurier kenzeth andrew abby schiefeling megan skoog victor aguilar blake crossan kyle scharf melody davidson michael chin alex kelleher isabella roshinski lauren bogart latrice robinson duncan king jordan stuart curette davey height lawson hearn joseph schmidt thomas marin ian veen thomas boss rebecca khan benjamin taylor matthew shapiro grace picciotti elena jometti nicholas williams lauren wiggins brendan gool joshua hall mikey cashino devon hunter ryan holmes cassidy patscott michael yaretzky claire richardson patrick white jessica davis ben jamison morgan kenny stephen tom brendan watkins k eastman emily duncan [Applause] the alma mater of a university is often the collegiate national anthem throughout the lifetime of a university faculty staff students alumni and family join in singing the alma mater within university ceremonies as a symbol of loyalty and pride as these graduates are now leaving butler university please enjoy the chorale's performance of the alma mater under the direction of dr eric stark conductor and professor of music please stand for the singing of the alma mater [Music] [Applause] is [Music] is [Music] will be [Music] oh [Music] uh let us recognize the talented butler university corral and the director dr stark as well as the butler university wind ensemble under the direction of professor michael coburn for their beautiful music contribution contributions today's ceremony with sincere congratulations and best wishes to the graduating class i declare the 2021 butler university lacey school of business commencement completed please remain seated please remain seated until the platform party and the faculty have recessed and graduates and guests will be released after the recessional [Music] [Music] too [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] um [Music] foreign
2021-05-11 08:46
