A Special Virtual Graduation for the Graduating Class of 2021
Published 06/15/2021 in Alumni Features
Written
06/15/2021
On June 5, 2021, over 56 Scholars, staff, friends, and family huddled together around their computers and logged onto Zoom to celebrate a very special moment: the graduation of the 20 Milken Scholars who received their undergraduate degrees this spring.
While public health measures warranted a continuation of online events, it brought its own silver lining as Scholars and friends from all across the country were able to celebrate together. The screen was full of smiles as everyone celebrated a momentous achievement in what was anything but an ordinary year—a year characterized by an ongoing pandemic and its societal reverberations. Despite the difficulties of the year past, or perhaps because of it, the atmosphere felt ebullient as the Scholar graduates turned their Milken-blue tassels from right to left. Joining the Scholars and their loved ones to celebrate this occasion were special guests, Mike and Lori Milken, the co-founders of the Milken Scholars Program, who also wore their own Milken-blue caps and tassels to match the Scholar graduates.
In addition to the virtual “walking ceremony,” Scholar graduates heard celebratory remarks from Alumni Scholars, Clarence Kong, MS ‘14, and Marcela Correa, MS ‘96, as they were welcomed into the ranks of the over 409 Alumni Scholars in the Milken Scholars Program network. And headlining the special event as Commencement Speaker was co-founder Mike Milken himself as he congratulated the Scholar graduates and imparted wisdom as they prepare to embark on this exciting next chapter of their lives. Hard to believe, but all this joy and celebration happened in a less than 1-hour ceremony!
While the virtual graduation centered the college graduations of our Scholars, the Milken Scholars Program also wants to celebrate the following Alumni Scholars who were conferred post-graduate degrees in 2021. They join a 230+ strong Alumni Scholar group who have already received their post-graduate degrees. Class of 2021, you did it!
Tagged Scholars:
While public health measures warranted a continuation of online events, it brought its own silver lining as Scholars and friends from all across the country were able to celebrate together. The screen was full of smiles as everyone celebrated a momentous achievement in what was anything but an ordinary year—a year characterized by an ongoing pandemic and its societal reverberations. Despite the difficulties of the year past, or perhaps because of it, the atmosphere felt ebullient as the Scholar graduates turned their Milken-blue tassels from right to left. Joining the Scholars and their loved ones to celebrate this occasion were special guests, Mike and Lori Milken, the co-founders of the Milken Scholars Program, who also wore their own Milken-blue caps and tassels to match the Scholar graduates.
In addition to the virtual “walking ceremony,” Scholar graduates heard celebratory remarks from Alumni Scholars, Clarence Kong, MS ‘14, and Marcela Correa, MS ‘96, as they were welcomed into the ranks of the over 409 Alumni Scholars in the Milken Scholars Program network. And headlining the special event as Commencement Speaker was co-founder Mike Milken himself as he congratulated the Scholar graduates and imparted wisdom as they prepare to embark on this exciting next chapter of their lives. Hard to believe, but all this joy and celebration happened in a less than 1-hour ceremony!
While the virtual graduation centered the college graduations of our Scholars, the Milken Scholars Program also wants to celebrate the following Alumni Scholars who were conferred post-graduate degrees in 2021. They join a 230+ strong Alumni Scholar group who have already received their post-graduate degrees. Class of 2021, you did it!