Cheers for Graduating Seniors!
English professors and instructors won't be able to shake the hands of graduating majors this year, but our congratulations are no less heartfelt. Indeed, the cheers may be stronger than ever, as Department of English faculty, staff, and alums offer applause and respect for our students' accomplishment and effort in the midst of such upheaval.
As Director of Undergraduate Studies Dan Philippon notes, the skills you have learned in the study of literature are more important than ever, "given that the stories we tell about this pandemic shape how we understand and respond to it."
More congratulations from our English professors and instructors:
Felicitations from friends of the department:
"Congratulations on graduating with a wonderful major. You have realized that college not only prepares you for a career but, more importantly, helps to build you into the kind of person you want to be. Your degree and background will qualify you for the career you want and will also enable you to have a rich, rewarding life."
- Wayne Gisslen (BA 1968), English Advisory Board member; bestselling cookbook author
"Unfortunately, you are graduating without the pomp and circumstance that you deserve. As you head out into this crazy world, hold your head high knowing you have received an outstanding education from this fine department. Best of luck!"
- Teddy Gesell, former English Advisory Board member
"Congratulations to you all for your remarkable achievement. You will treasure your accomplishment for the rest of your life, whatever path you follow. Studies in English hold the key to anything you might want to do and the tools to do anything you imagine. Your adventure is only beginning!"
- Judith Koll Healey (BA 1961, BS 1967, MA 1995), English Advisory Board member; philanthropy consultant, novelist, and biographer; 2020 CLA Dean’s Liberal Arts Champion
Best wishes to the Class of 2020!
