Dr. Gerald Brouder, President
Welcome to Columbia College's Virtual Commencement.
We are thrilled to be able to celebrate with and congratulate all Columbia College graduates who have worked very hard, excelled, and earned an associate, bachelor's or master's degree. We acknowledge with sincere gratitude the families and friends, counselors and supporters who have lovingly pushed, prodded and helped you along the way. We say congratulations and thank you to the faculty, as well, for this ceremony, in many ways, represents the culmination of their efforts, efforts resulting in more than preparing you for a degree, efforts resulting in lives enriched.
Our students are diverse and come to us at many different points in their lives - some directly from high school, who choose to attend the enriching, traditional program. Others take a different path that leads them to their educational goals later in life, often while on the job, and are looking for quality programs that offer convenience and flexibility. Many of those students choose our evening or online programs. Whereas, those who live near one of our 34 Nationwide campus locations across the country have the opportunity to further their education and improve their lives. The Columbia College mission of exemplary teaching serves our students well. With much diversity among our campuses and program offerings, there are also constants that apply across the board…the dedication of faculty and staff and quality of education Columbia College provides is of the same high caliber regardless of program or location.
The successful completion of your college degree is cause for great celebration. So, let me take this opportunity to say hearty "congratulations." Even more so, I want to say "Thank You," because the pursuit of education is very much a shared endeavor. Your contributions within the classroom or online, your thoughts, ideas, and opinions, and your experiences prior to visiting home campus all shape and enhance the experiences you take with you from this day forward. Through an atmosphere of civility and respect, we came together to grow, to learn, and to adapt, which enables us to become better citizens and leaders in our chosen endeavors.
Go forth now and move on to the next chapter in your life. While you are leaving with your degree today, from campus or from the comfort of your own home, you will always be a part of Columbia College. You have now officially been introduced into the Columbia College alumni community, and we look forward to seeing how you help shape the world in the coming years.
Thank you for making Columbia College a part of your educational journey.