WVU Tech commencement ceremony celebrates class of 2016
More than 170 graduates from the WVU Tech class of 2016 were recognized by the University on Saturday, May 7, at the institution’s 117th Commencement Ceremony.
Campus President Carolyn Long offered a parting message of encouragement to the graduates in the crowded gymnasium.
“I’m inspired daily by the strength and spirit of the students in this room. It’s a constant source of pride to hear about Golden Bears traveling the country to accept awards and scholarships, share their ideas and chase their academic, athletic and personal pursuits,” she said.
“I’m inspired, too, by your dedication to the interests and causes that matter to you. You find something you’re passionate about or something you want to stand up for and you go for it. You don’t hold back, and that’s a powerful trait for the trained problem-solvers we’re sending into the world today.”
WVU Tech alumnus Mickey Reeves, ‘78, addressed the graduates as the ceremony’s featured speaker. Reeves is Vice President and Managing Director of Jacobs Consultancy, Inc., where he oversees a 140-employee practice covering the worldwide petroleum, chemicals and energy consulting for the firm.
He shared how a series of phone calls lead him to follow job opportunities across the country, shaping his career and leading him to the work he loves.
“If someone told me in 1978 that I would have done these things, I wouldn’t have believed them. While you may know where you will be next week or next month, you don’t have a clue where you will be five, ten, twenty years from now. And you know something? That’s okay. Any and everything is possible. It’s up to you,” he said. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Take those calls. Go somewhere you’ve never been.”
Graduates Tavon Johnson from the Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering and Sciences and Jacqueline Carroll from the College of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences were awarded the University’s Presidential Leadership Awards. The graduates were selected for their significant roles in the improvement and development of the intellectual, social, cultural and athletic fabric of the WVU Tech community.
Visit WVU Tech on YouTube to watch the ceremony.
Check out photos from Commencement weekend on Flickr.