Spring 2021 Commencement | CSU College of Business Undergraduate Class
throughout your time at colorado state university you have been challenged encouraged and celebrated recently every extraordinary accomplishment has felt a little different yet through innovation hard work and limitless imagination you have shown what it means to be truly stalwart as a community we have experienced adversity and heartfelt moments it is in our character to come together lift each other up and embody the statement we frequently hear rams take care of rams this is a time of wonder and a time to celebrate and be proud of all that you have accomplished the class of 2021 your experiences at csu provided a foundation to achieve new heights and it is your turn to look towards the future to shape your communities and the world welcome to the commencement ceremony of colorado state university's 2021 graduates i'm the provost and executive vice president mary pedersen and it is my pleasure and privilege to join your families and friends and our faculty and staff in celebrating you today congratulations to you please join us as we begin this ceremony with the national anthem performed by our very own csu musicians and with the colors presented by colorado state university's air force rotc's wing walker honor guard thank you to the wing walker honor garden our musical performers and to all who have made this virtual ceremony possible i am proud and honored to introduce csu's land acknowledgement it is important that we not lose sight of the need to remember the history of the land on which our institution stands especially in this virtual physically distanced world shrouded by a pandemic whenever or however our community gathers we have a responsibility to share the land acknowledgement we do this to respect and reflect upon the sacrifices made by the indigenous communities who were the original stewards of csu land tribal communities were displaced and ultimately harmed to gain the land that has enabled this institution to serve a mission of education and research for more than 150 years we are grateful to the csu's indigenous faculty staff and students as well as the non-indigenous members of our community who contributed to our land acknowledgement this beautiful video presentation was produced by csu's native american advisory council as a powerful affirmation of the acknowledgement and to remind us all of our relationship to each other and this land colorado state university acknowledges with respect that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the arapaho cheyenne and ute nations and peoples this was also a site of trade gathering and healing for numerous other native nations we recognized the indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it as these words of acknowledgement are spoken and heard the ties nations have to their traditional homelands are renewed and reaffirmed csu is a land-grant institution and we accept that our mission must encompass access to education and inclusion and significantly that our founding came at a dire cost to native nations and peoples whose land this university was built upon this acknowledgement is the education and inclusion we must practice in recognizing our institutional history responsibility and commitment dear graduates we celebrate so much for you today your successes your brilliance your future and we know great things await you there is a profound legacy to which we are all connected as csu rams more than 150 years across multiple generations and identities one that you have influenced and shaped in your presence here you should take enormous pride in that now that you move forward to make your mark and contribution to the world as you have here at csu take with you the principles of community all that you have learned here and the shared experiences with your peers your professors and this institution we take pride in knowing that you chose to be a ram and that you are forever part of csu its legacy and history the late poet award-winning author educator and civil rights activist dr maya angelou once said if you're going to live leave a legacy make a mark on the world that can't be erased Angelou was perhaps best known for her 1969 memoir i know why the caged bird sings which made literary history as the first non-fiction bestseller by an african-american woman in addition to her literature she contributed so much to this world through her voice other talents intellect compassion and strength she is one of humankind's extraordinary legacies through your life experiences learning and achievements you have started to build your own personal legacy as did your peers who came before you and those who will follow you there is much ahead for you and your journey has just begun as you venture into your future embrace the challenges ahead of you create and capture opportunities to make the world better build your legacy make your mark one that cannot be erased i want to close with more wisdom by maya angelou this is from a commencement speech that she gave in 1982. her message stands true for you today as it did for that graduating class nearly 40 years ago she said of all your attributes your youth your beauty your wit your kindness your money courage is indeed your greatest achievement it is the greatest of all of your virtues for without courage you cannot practice any other virtues with consistency no doubt it has taken incredible courage for you to get where you are today especially this past year i know you have worked hard to succeed in your studies your research your service and employment for your family and community yourself and your future in your time at csu especially in the unprecedented challenges you have faced with a pandemic you've begun to define your character your courage and who you are and who you want to be now it is your time to make your mark on the world and i know you will do great things congratulations to you and your family your friends and all who have supported you madam president the 2021 spring and summer graduating class of colorado state university is virtually assembled thank you provost pedersen. congratulations to our 2021 graduates and a special welcome to all the family and friends joining us to celebrate the hard work and achievements of those whose academic journeys will culminate today with the recognition of each graduate and conferral of their degrees it is important to have the people you love the people who have supported you in ways too numerous to count be able to share this important day i am so glad all of you could join us i know this is not how any of us pictured the culmination of your academic careers at colorado state university but we know the importance of celebrations and this one marks a significant and meaningful milestone the end of one journey and the beginning of another graduates over the past year you have exhibited incredible strength and resilience these are qualities you share with past generations who also experience difficult times times of war times of economic upheaval and yes even times of pandemic i believe that resilience is rooted both in our land grant mission and in the special qualities of the students who choose colorado state this university was born in a nation undergoing tremendous change and was designed to meet some of its most critical needs it is a place founded on a revolutionary commitment to offering broad access and generating new knowledge knowledge our graduates have used for generations to meet the world's biggest and most complex challenges all of you inherit that legacy of resilience and will carry it forward you have shown an amazing ability to adapt and persevere not just to survive in difficult times but to thrive and keep in mind as you transition from college to career that your learning isn't coming to an end in many ways it's just beginning you leave here with the knowledge and the skills to excel in the careers you've chosen but it's possible that your real dream job is still somewhere out there in your future it's possible it doesn't even exist yet you're entering a world where change remains a constant where the needs of the workforce and the size and scope of the challenges will continue to accelerate and evolve but whatever those challenges may be whenever and wherever you encounter them you will be prepared you have the skills and abilities and you have the creativity and critical thinking to transform yourselves when challenges and opportunities arise you will gain wisdom with every experience you will be ready our csu community has a powerful shining bold spirit one of born of hope and optimism one that cannot be dimmed by challenges for more than 150 years it has endured growing brighter and stronger particularly in the face of adversity your achievements are now part of that long proud history colorado state university's class of 2021 set a standard of resilience and perseverance that will endure for future generations wherever you go from here you will remain members of a csu community of brilliant minds great hearts and an indomitable resilience our ram family reaches around the world honoring our storied past and embracing our shared future ready to confront is increasingly complex challenges i am delighted to celebrate all of you on behalf of the entire csu community congratulations and now i am thrilled to be able to welcome our spring 2021 commencement speaker from Philadelphia, Kareem Rosser. Kareem earned his degree in economics from csu in 2016. and many of you will recall him leading our csu polo team to a national championship in 2015 when he also was named the u.s polo association's intercollegiate player of the year economics and
polo have remained among his passions since graduation kareem is pursuing a career as a financial analyst in philadelphia and continues to compete in polo tournaments around the world and in the best tradition of csu alums he is also working to improve the lives of others to give back to the communities that support us and to make the world a better place he serves as treasurer on the board of work to ride the program that taught him to ride and take care of horses since 2015 kareem has raised more than eight hundred thousand dollars to support at-risk youth and the program that gave him a future in polo in february kareem released his first book crossing the line a fearless team of brothers and the sport that changed their lives forever it tells his own inspirational story and the stories of the people who were his mentors when he was growing up in one of philadelphia's toughest neighborhoods he's been featured on 60 minutes espn and the today show and today he's here to share his insights and experiences with us we are so excited to welcome this remarkable individual and csu graduate kareem rosser hey class of 2021 congratulations you conquered one of the most difficult academic years in recent history and you reached an incredible milestone during a pandemic i am beyond proud of you you really show ram toughness as you prepare for the next chapter i imagine many of you are excited and some even nervous i have no doubt this class is ready to take on whatever's waiting for you next commencement is a meaningful ceremony but it's not the final goal you've been working towards it's part of a larger journey of life wherever your future takes you life is a journey and all accomplishments we achieve during its course should be taken as starting points for further achievement your graduation serves as a launching point whether you're headed to a new career continuing your education or exploring another avenue entirely as you make your transition you will inevitably face new challenges this was true for me too when i was in your position a few weeks after graduation i began working as a financial analyst the first six months were overwhelming as i struggled to maintain a healthy work-life balance there were moments just like my time during at csu when i wanted to quit as a student i failed multiple tests as a student athlete i lost many games but i did not let the failing moments define me instead i look back at my struggles as a college student and how i chose to persevere i use my challenges as motivation to pursue a greater goal to become the first member of my family to receive a college degree now you like me i have the honor of calling ourselves csu graduates now it's time to put the knowledge you've gained over the last four years to use csu has equipped you with the tools to create your own plan creating your plan does not mean success will come overnight as we experience this past year life forces us to adjust the pandemic delayed my first significant capital raise as the lead analyst i did not let the challenges of the virus dictate my success i pivoted and remain patient there will be moments you feel discouraged but you have already proven to be resilient you have reached you have received an education from one of the greatest institutions in the world and i know you're prepared you're about to close one door while simultaneously opening a new one i'm encouraging you to walk through with confidence as i said before life is a journey and you do not stop growing once you get your diploma today you have a lot to celebrate enjoy this moment and the best of luck to all of you go rams thank you president mcconnell and provost pedersen and a special thank you to our 2021 commencement speaker kareem rosser congratulations graduates hello i am beth walker dean of the csu college of business and i would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you our class of 2021. today you have achieved a tremendous personal milestone whether you are graduating with an undergraduate or graduate degree in spring semester or this summer you completed the final steps of your academic journey from one of the best business schools and universities in the country during the final year of your academic career many of you returned to campus in august to a blend of in-person hybrid and online learning in line with csu's commitment to putting the health and safety of our community first others of you persevered with your online graduate degree programs balancing working at home and in many cases kids at home through it all you have shown remarkable resourcefulness as you transition to a much quieter socially distanced campus and resilience as you connected with classmates friends student clubs and the community mostly online you rallied adapted and adjusted to new ways of learning living and engaging at home and with the campus community and today you are graduating over the years i have had many conversations with employers about why they return year after year to hire our college of business graduates while they talk about your intelligence your extraordinary work ethic and your integrity the quality that truly sets you apart is grit in one of my favorite books psychologist dr angela duckworth suggests that what drives success not only at work but in life is not how smart you are or the score you earned on a test but grit that special blend of passion and perseverance that motivates you to overcome obstacles to face challenges head on to not give up no matter what today is proof that within each of you resides in inner strength a determination grit that not only got you to the finish line today but will enable you to overcome every challenge you face in the future in just a few months the world will hopefully return to normal the light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter than ever as a business graduate you will help lead the way out of this pandemic inspired to innovate by the new realities that confront us motivated to create new possibilities for a better way of life driven to use business to create a better world as you participate in shaping our new future remember the lessons that you learned while socially distancing during covid 19. years from now when you tell stories about how you graduated during a global pandemic you won't recall the assignment you didn't turn in because your internet connection failed or the higher grade you didn't earn because you couldn't muster the energy to study for yet another online quiz or the struggles you endured trying to figure out how to register for your next saliva screen you will remember the special memories that you created with your friends and family during your unexpected time together the acts of kindness that you were extended from a caring classmate or faculty member or the simple acts of service you embraced out of the need to give back to your community as emerging business leaders you have the opportunity to invent a new and better future for all of us in business and in life remember that taking care of people of each other is what matters most college of business graduates i am extremely proud of you all you are remarkable on behalf of the faculty and staff in the college of business congratulations and go rams now for the moment you have been waiting for to commence with the formal conferral of the degrees madam president these candidates have completed all the requirements for their degrees with the recommendation of the faculty of the college of business i am pleased to present them to you for conferring of their degrees with the recommendation of the faculty by the authority invested in me by the board of governors of the colorado state university system and the state of colorado i hereby confer upon each of you the appropriate degree with all the rights privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto now we welcome you to join us in the colorado state university alma mater led by our very own musicians coming to us from the university center for the arts congratulations 2021 graduates Hail to thee, our Alma Mater; Colorado State.
Memories are everlasting of this place so great. May thy Green and Gold unite us, loyal ever be. Colorado State, our Alma Mater, Hail, all hail, to thee.
hi i'm paul mallette, associate dean for undergraduate programs here in the college of business and i just want to send my congratulations to the class of 2021. you know you've completed a rigorous academic program here you've done it through extraordinary times so well done you know in the years ahead we look forward to hearing about all that you accomplish where you leave your fingerprints around the world i know you'll make us proud so again congratulations don't be a stranger go rams 2021 graduates we did it friends family and faculty thank you for virtually joining me and the college of business for the class of 2021 spring commencement we have a lot to be proud of in march 2020 we were told to stay home after spring break and finish out the semester online fall 2020 went the same way as did this past semester faced with uncertainty in these strange times we were admittedly nervous but our professors got us through every day to our professors thank you for the time effort and care you invested to help us succeed on a personal note i will miss attending classes at rockwell and even online being a computer information system student has been the cornerstone of my college experience to the families of this graduating class thank you for supporting your student to my mom and dad thank you for your love and encouragement all my life it has been an unbelievable ride and i will be forever thankful for your sacrifices so that i could have the opportunity to go to csu to my sisters always be yourselves and do not be afraid to share who you are college is many things but you will always find your path when you are true to yourself to my fellow college of business students congratulations we are officially alumni we have arrived at this day through trial and error perseverance and patience a few years ago we sat shoulder to shoulder at moby eager to tackle the changes and challenges csu would throw our way and heard these haloed words the next time you are all in the same room together will be at graduation we can't sit with our fellow rams to celebrate our achievements due to unprecedented circumstances but we can stand tall and still recognize our great accomplishments we survived a year of online classes donated our time energy and resources to help our communities and developed a new sense of camaraderie with our peers yes the pandemic took much from us but in this moment stop look around and see the world through new eyes and from a fresh perspective adversity made us resilient adaptable stronger kinder and thoughtful fort collins is unique for a college town it is more than a historical city or a micro brewery capital it is a community with heart through wildfires and snowstorms disasters and hard times we all step up and deliver because rams take care of rams it isn't unusual to see fellow students dig out cars stuck in ice or to help our alumni on the front lines helping with wildfires csu has taught us that volunteerism and sacrifice and kindness go a long way despite the chaos in the world around us get excited for the future which holds endless possibilities and opportunities and when you need a leg up to achieve your goals trust in your community to help make your dreams possible the college business has a saying business for a better world this can be many things but at its core it defines what makes our business school so special let us work toward creating successful nurturing communities and businesses that leave their mark on the world making a better world will not be easy or quick but we can believe in our causes allow setbacks to become our motivation and our successes to inspire us to keep moving forward our time at csu has come to an end but this is just the beginning the hard work starts now i'm incredibly honored to be a part of the class of 2021 and i cannot wait to see what we will accomplish now let us take this time to recognize each and every one of you congratulations again go rams hello accounting graduates my name is lisa kutcher and i am chair of the accounting department on behalf of the faculty and staff in the department congratulations on your graduation you have persevered you have adapted and your hard work has paid off you are now a csu accounting graduate we are also very proud of your accomplishments and you are equipped to go out and make a difference in the world we wish you all the best as you begin your professional career congratulations and go rams i'm hilla skiba and i'm the department chair of finance and real estate i want to offer you my heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the entire department of finance and real estate you have accomplished something tremendous especially under these difficult circumstances and i cannot wait to see how you will shape and change the world hi i'm susan golicic the department chair for the department of management i just wanted to say congratulations to all of our spring and summer 2021 grads organization and innovation management human resources and supply chain management we're so proud of all that you've accomplished we're excited for you in this next big step we can't wait to see what you accomplish go rams dear CIS graduates i'm leo vijayasarathy, chair of the computer information systems department on behalf of our faculty and staff congratulations you've worked hard and overcome multiple obstacles to earn your degree kudos to you this is your moment step forward boldly cease the opportunities accept the challenges that lie ahead of you we are confident you'll be successful in your personal and professional lives i wish you all the best in your future endeavors stay in touch make csu proud and go ramps hi i'm dave gilliland chair of the department of marketing we know you're excited about your graduation and let me tell you the staff and faculty in the marketing department are excited for you we wish you the best in the future come back and see us and go rams so so so so foreign foreign says is 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