“It’s people from other places that form this campus,” President John Ettling said to the group of students honored at the ‘As You Are’ graduation ceremony Wednesday, May 1. This ceremony honored senior black, latinx, international and LGBT students for the influence they’ve had on Plattsburgh State’s campus.
Many PSUC staff and students attended to show their support of the graduating seniors and to recognize the work they’ve done in their academic life and in contribution to PSUC’s campus.
“It’s refreshing because we’ve been in school for four long years but it’s also kind of scary because this is the next step and you know there’s so many expectations for us, like having a career ready or having a salary ready for us.” senior hospitality management and marketing major Cheyene Richards said.
“It’s a lot of expectations, so it’s kind of scary,” Richards said.
During the ceremony, students in the crowd cheered friends on. This conveyed the sense of a tight-knit community they have created during their time at PSUC, as well as their overwhelming support for the success of their peers.
“You have so many opportunities to meet different people and meet different professors and learn so many different things,” senior public relations and psychology major Victoria Adebanjo said.
“When you’re at home stuck in the same environment you tend to think a certain way but when you go away, you see other people’s perspectives and those help you grow as an individual. You understand. You’re more empathetic and compassionate towards others when you’re able to see how the other people live.”
At the end of the ceremony, a slideshow played to reminisce about the students’ memorable times while attending PSUC. Many pictures showed the students with their friends hanging out as well as showcasing their academic milestones.
While there are many lively career opportunities these seniors get to look forward to, many are just as excited to share their success with their family and friends back home.
“I will [go] back to my home country first because since I started abroad I didn’t spend a lot of time with my family, so I will take one year to spend time with my family,” senior supply chain management and business administration Zhuoer Xu said.
Adebanjo looks at his college career and life a certain way.
“My quote of life is ‘Trust the process.’ The way that resonates with me is just trust that God’s got you,” Adebanjo said. “If you might not get what you want in that moment and you might see other people doing things that are different from what you’re doing, it’s OK.”
