BEMIDJI 鈥� Friends and family crowded the Sanford Center on Friday to celebrate graduates from Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College throughout three commencement ceremonies.
A ceremony to recognize 2024 graduates from the College of Arts, Education and Humanities and the College of Business, Mathematics and Science kicked off the day鈥檚 festivities in the morning 鈥� setting the stage for success.
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Following opening remarks and the land acknowledgement statement, BSU and NTC President John Hoffman spoke to graduates about the odds some of them had faced prior to earning their degrees.
鈥淎s I look out here among our graduates, I know that about half of you have parents that don鈥檛 have college degrees. You鈥檙e the first in your families,鈥� Hoffman said. 鈥淢any of you come from low-income families. Some of you, because of your race or other identities, have been told that (graduation) is beyond expectation for you.
鈥淟et me be clear: Bemidji State does not just give out degrees. You have earned your space here today. You belong and you need to live out what you have earned in this space.鈥�
Among the graduates who donned their caps and tassels, accounting major Sarah Kessler provided the student address for the morning ceremony with an emphasis on community.
鈥淭his campus' community has been my favorite thing about BSU,鈥� Kessler said. 鈥淚 have found community at Wally's, in our residence halls, at our outstanding sustainability office and in our powerful Student Senate. Maybe you found community in classes, Hobson Memorial Union, athletic events, Gillett or off campus. The places where you can find community here are endless.鈥�
Kessler encouraged her fellow graduates to set intentional goals when embarking on their respective paths to success.
鈥淪uccessful people know where they鈥檙e going, and that鈥檚 how they get there,鈥� Kessler added. 鈥淵ou need to set goals to be able to reach them, so know where it is you're going. Set big goals and define your own success.鈥�
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A success story
This year's Distinguished Minnesotan Mike Roberge, a 1990 BSU graduate and chief executive officer of in Boston, would detail his own success story as a means of motivation.
First presented in 1981, the Distinguished Minnesotan acknowledges the contributions of current or former residents of the state who have performed exemplary service to the people of Minnesota or the United States, a release said.
鈥淚n selecting Roberge as our Distinguished Minnesotan, we honor not only his remarkable career achievements but also his unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on society,鈥� Hoffman said. 鈥淢ike is a perfect example of the BSU story. He came from a small farm community and used the education he earned at Bemidji State to open doors.鈥�
Roberge鈥檚 journey made him a viable fit to address graduates in the morning as well as the College of Individual and Community Health on Friday afternoon and NTC later in the day.
鈥淚鈥檓 asked by many young people earlier in their careers to give them advice regarding what they need to do to be successful in an organization,鈥� Roberge said. 鈥淚 give them one simple piece of advice: be a great teammate every day, and make others around you better.鈥�
Roberge also noted the power of community, encouraging graduates to keep in mind the impacts they can make moving forward.
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鈥淲e all create better communities and a better society when we help one another,鈥� Roberge left off. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the impact that you will make in the future. Go forward knowing that you鈥檙e ready for what lies ahead.鈥�
Communication Studies major Matthew Merkling provided the student address for the College of Individual and Community Health.
All ceremony recordings can be viewed on BSU and NTC鈥檚 Vimeo and Facebook pages.
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