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SUNY Westchester Community College Celebrates First In-Person Commencement Ceremony Since Pandemic Outbreak

SUNY Westchester Community College celebrated its 74th commencement last week on campus, the first in-person graduation since 2019.

While the in-person event was made possible due to reduced levels of COVID-19 infection from a year ago, safety protocols, including mandatory wearing of masks while indoors, were implemented to ensure the safety and well-being for all attendees. Further, commencement was divided by school into three different ceremonies in order to reduce attendee density in the Physical Education Building, where the ceremonies were held.

“This year’s commencement celebrated the tremendous achievements of our graduates who persevered through the worst days of the pandemic, as well as the dedicated efforts of our faculty and other employees to provide the support our students needed to reach this milestone,” said Dr. Miles. “This dedication, combined with innovative programs, has been a critical factor in the doubling of our graduation rate over the course of the past seven years.”

SUNY Westchester Community College President Belinda S. Miles and WCC Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Leroy Mitchell spoke at each of the three ceremonies. The featured speaker was Ms. Lisa Denig, president of the WCC Alumni Association and Counsel to the Chief Judge of the State of New York, Honorable Janet DiFiore. Among the graduates at the ceremony were the winners of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence, winner of a Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship and other honorees. Of the more than 1,600 graduates, many will be transferring to four-year institutions including Columbia, NYU, SUNY campuses and local colleges, while many others will be entering the workforce in such fields as cybersecurity, nursing, fashion design, and digital filmmaking.