{"id":23681,"date":"2020-12-12T20:14:11","date_gmt":"2020-12-13T01:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mdcthereporter.com\/?p=23681"},"modified":"2021-01-08T17:28:27","modified_gmt":"2021-01-08T22:28:27","slug":"miami-dade-college-graduates-receive-their-diplomas-during-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdcthereporter.com\/staging\/8357\/miami-dade-college-graduates-receive-their-diplomas-during-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is How Miami Dade College Students Graduated During A Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 2,000 Miami Dade College graduates received their diplomas on Saturday at five outdoor ceremonies at North and Kendall Campus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>unlike previous ceremonies that were held inside packed auditoriums, this year\u2019s commencement had a much different feel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Graduates sat 10-feet away from each other and were required to wear face masks. They went through temperature screenings before entering campus, hand sanitation stations were available throughout the venue and common areas were disinfected between ceremonies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the added safety measures, students did not allow the pandemic or the rain to dampen their spirits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to see that we didn\u2019t let ourselves be defeated by the pandemic,\u201d said Maruja Calatayud Witherington, a nursing graduate from Medical Campus. \u201cWe have the necessary measures in place. Life goes on so we must continue living. We\u2019re responsible but not depressed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Miami Dade College was one of the few higher education institutions in South Florida to hold an in-person graduation. Other schools \u2014 such as Florida International University, the University of Miami and Broward College \u2014 held virtual ceremonies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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She Did It: Wolfson Campus Honors College student Beatriz Triay celebrates in front of the lake at North Campus during graduation Saturday. DANELIS OLIVERA-HERRERA \/ THE REPORTER<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In all, more than 15,000 <\/span>scholars earned a certificate, an associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree from MDC\u2019s eight campuses during the 2019-20 school year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Students from North, Wolfson, Medical, Hialeah and Padr\u00f3n Campus walked across Lake Plaza in front of the Science Complex at North Campus. Those from Kendall, Homestead and West Campus celebrated at a makeshift outdoor arena next to the baseball field at Kendall Campus.<\/span><\/p>\n

To ensure social distancing, only select faculty and administrators, the Board of Trustees and graduates attended the ceremonies. Family and friends of the students had to watch via a <\/span>livestream<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the closing of two years of hard work and study,\u201d said Heloisa Gardner, a Brazilian native, who earned an associate\u2019s degree in paralegal studies from Wolfson Campus. \u201cI\u2019m so proud of myself. English isn\u2019t my first language so having done this \u2014 in a pandemic \u2014 is amazing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Graduates walked across the stage without shaking the president\u2019s hand. Instead, they received their scroll, had their picture taken and exited the stage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In past years, graduates have witnessed dance performances from the Show Stopper Dance Studio in Hialeah, vocal performances from New World School of the Arts students and they waved glow sticks alongside each other at packed arenas<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think they did the best with the concerning circumstances,\u201d said Paul Douillon, who served as Homestead Campus Student Government Association president last year. \u201cThey adapted [when] almost every other institution down here has canceled their ceremony or just went virtual \u2014 and many students here didn\u2019t want to be virtual. I’m very glad they did this and I’m very proud of what they put together.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The ceremonies also featured speeches from former SGA presidents, campus presidents and Interim College President Rolando Montoya.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Guest speakers included:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n