St. Thomas Undergraduate Class of 2020 Celebrates Graduation

St. Thomas celebrated the undergraduate Class of 2020 and its 1,292 students throughout the entire Senior Week May 18-23, culminating with a virtual celebration Saturday featuring a celebratory video, digital flipbook of then-and-now photos, and senior shout-outs.

Students around the country shared images and excitement about their accomplishment, thoughts about what graduating means to them, and looked forward to the next stage of their life as Tommie alumni.

Graduating seniors of the 2020 class return to the St. Paul campus to take photos on a beautiful spring day on May 15, 2020. In-person commencement ceremonies were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tommie the mascot poses for a photo in front of the Arches in St. Paul on May 22, 2020.

Target Field lighting is turned purple in celebration of the graduating class of 2020, in Minneapolis on May 22, 2020.

Photos of Tommie the Mascot wearing a commencement cap and gown and celebrating with confetti streamers in O’Shaughnessy Stadium on Palmer Field in St. Paul on May 20, 2020.

To me graduation is a pivoting point, like reaching a lookout that changes your point of view. It’s a chance to pause and celebrate, before rolling up my sleeves to begin the next leg of my journey in a job, grad school or other experience. While I would have loved to share this day with friends, family, professors and mentors, I know I will not be alone in reminiscing in the photos and cherishing the friendships from the past three-four years. I won’t forget my time as a Tommie and am excited to carry this experience into everything I do moving forward!

Looking back, I am proud of so many things. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude for the way that I and the class of 2020 adapted to change, advocated for others in and around our communities and showed compassion to one other through some unique situations over the past four years, especially in the last month.

Some of my favorite memories are preparing for and participating in the Christmas concert, as well as the summers I spent with my lab-family doing research.

-Sarah Happy-Kim, biochemistry major

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Each of my four years at St. Thomas have made me grow as an individual in their own unique ways. My experience throughout these years, and now graduating from the University of St. Thomas, has given me the confidence to create positive change in the world. I know that I'm equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to advance the common good and empower others to do so as well. In these unknown times, I am most proud of the class of 2020, faculty, and staff for displaying resilience and strength to finish out the school year strong!

-Elizabeth Muench, social work major

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Graduating means that I am the first one in my family to graduate from college and I am one step closer to my goal of becoming a professor so I can hopefully inspire and encourage future students the way my professors have done for me.

-Martina Golden, chemistry and French majors

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I'm very thankful for all of you xoxo #tommiegrad #ust2020

A post shared by Sophia Brown (@phi_brown) on May 14, 2020 at 9:18am PDT