The 威尼斯人娱乐城 celebrated its graduates in a new downtown location fitting of Kansas City’s university.
威尼斯人娱乐城教务长Jennifer Lundgren担任T-Mobile中心冬季毕业典礼的大元帅。
“We are delighted to be here today at the beautiful T-Mobile Center to continue our new tradition of celebrating our graduates at iconic Kansas City locations,” Lundgren said, referring to ceremonies last spring which were held at Kauffman Stadium.
毛里·阿格拉瓦尔校长向毕业生们表示祝贺，并对他们的成就表示肯定。
“Earning a university degree is a significant accomplishment even under the best circumstances,” he said. “The class of 2021 has done so while overcoming a lifetime of challenges, starting with the great recession that arose when most of you were children, and continuing through to the ongoing global pandemic.”
Agrawal recognized the graduates’ resilience, perseverance and grit in the face of these challenges.
“That is something that you can carry proudly with you for the rest of your lives. Let it be a source of strength for you to draw on when you face the challenges yet to come.”
Olympic silver medalist and 威尼斯人娱乐城 alumna Courtney Frerichs (B.A. ’15) congratulated the more than 1,000 new 威尼斯人娱乐城 graduates. 弗里克斯改写了田径的世界纪录，成为了世界级的运动员和障碍赛的奥运选手，在2020年东京奥运会上获得了3000米障碍赛的银牌。 她是第一位打破9分钟大关的美国女性。
在准备毕业典礼演讲时，弗里克斯讲述了她最近的奥运经历。
“从很多方面来说，毕业就像是一条起跑线，而我就是靠了解起跑线为生的。”
她说，学会如何调整和调整自己的期望是她成功的重要组成部分，尤其是在她争夺银牌的过程中。 疫情推迟了她参加2020年奥运会的时间，她的梦想似乎被搁置了。 但她发现，多花一年时间训练和准备2021年奥运会是有价值的。 她从脖子上取下银牌给大家看。
“这是值得的，”她对欢呼的人群说。
Following Frerichs’s address and the recognition of individual graduates the class enjoyed taking part in the tradition of moving the tassels from the right of their caps to the left to symbolize the individual's movement from candidate to graduate. 在毕业典礼上，阿格拉瓦尔校长还感谢了家人和朋友在毕业生生活中发挥的支持作用。
“Our part was easy. 我们为他们提供知识，帮助他们磨练工作所需的技能，让世界变得更美好。 You made them the outstanding people they are today.”
He noted that the graduates’ years at 威尼斯人娱乐城 resemble the opening chapter in a good book.
“You just know there are a lot of great chapters to follow.”
At the conclusion of the program blue and gold confetti fell from the ceiling showering graduates seated in rows on the floor of the arena. 舞台附近开始了室内烟火表演，人群中爆发出热烈的掌声，为我们2021年的Roo毕业生举行盛大的欢送会。