Welcome to the latest issue of the Bentley Buzz, where we share news and stories about the faculty and staff who make Bentley special. It is compiled by Kevin Wong, associate director of internal communications. To share your news or an idea for a story, please email buzz@bentley.edu.
May 6, 2021
On Saturday, May 1, the Bentley community celebrated the Class of 2021 and Class of 2020 in separate ceremonies at the first college graduation ever held at historic Fenway Park. With just weeks to plan countless logistics and health and safety guidelines, the ceremonies went off without a hitch, as thousands of students and family members filled the park (appropriately distanced and in masks) to celebrate the conclusion of a challenging year.
With the Green Monster serving as a scenic backdrop, Interim President and Chair of the Board of Trustees Paul Condrin welcomed students and their families to the ceremony and remarked on the strength of the graduates as they officially made it to the finish line of a year filled with COVID-19 obstacles and racial reckoning on the local and national levels. "Our Bentley students are special, not only high performing in the classroom, but caring, empathetic and productive members of their communities," noted Interim President Condrin.
Later in the ceremonies, former Bentley President Gloria Cordes Larson delivered the commencement address, where she encouraged graduates to “make the world a better place,” and praised students for their resilience in enduring the worst pandemic in a century that had made them “stronger and more powerful than you will ever imagine.”
During her remarks, Gloria also emphasized her belief in the younger generation, and noted their potential to change the world was great. “You will go out and make the world a better place,” she said. “You will exemplify the resilience this world needs. You will be the positive business leaders that the world needs to thrive in the years ahead. You will face challenges and overcome them. And you will never forget that you are not alone in this journey. You are traveling this path together. And for that reason, you are stronger and more powerful than you will ever imagine."
During both ceremonies, graduates from each class were chosen to address the crowd and share their Bentley experiences. Courtney Woronka ’21, president of the senior class, and Suchithra Vengalil, a member of the Graduate Student Association were selected to address the Class of 2021, while Jinny Choi ’20 and Melissa Renschler ’12, PhD ’20 addressed the Class of 2020.
Congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2021 and Class of 2020!
Read the Full Recap
Commencement 2021 at Fenway Park
2,960
Total graduates from the Classes of 2021 and 2020
36
Countries represented in the Class of 2021
952
PhDs, Master's Degrees and Certificates
2,008
Bachelor's Degrees
4.8 million
Social media reach for all commencement-related posts
69,536
Number of likes, comments and shares on Bentley social media posts during commencement week
10,754
Views of the live-streamed commencement ceremonies
19,401
Visits to the Bentley.edu home page on May 1 (a single-day record)
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