The Memory of Lockdown Kept Thousands of Students From Attending UW-Milwaukee’s Recognition Ceremony But Others Were Honored

Residual anguish from lockdown kept thousands of UW-Milwaukee graduates from celebrating their commencement. Fewer than 9% of UWM students who had a virtual graduation in 2020 or spring of 2021 attended the in-person recognition ceremony on Sunday, April 10 at the Panther Arena. While only a small percentage of graduates were in attendance, those who made an appearance were honored for their ongoing resilience.

The ceremony, which was open to all virtual graduates and their families, accumulated fewer than 700 RSVP’d “yesses” out of 8,000 students, of which around 1,000 were unable to be reached directly, according to UWM Special Events Director Lynn Wilk. 

Of the roughly 700 graduates who attended, all degrees (Associates, Bachelors, Masters and PhD) and all schools were celebrated. UWM Chancellor Mark Mone led the ceremony with speeches by Regent Corey Saffold, Alumni Board Member Todd Brennan and Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Professor Chia Vang. 

“The pandemic changed our lives in ways we could not have predicted,” said Vang. “When you began your educational journey at UWM you expected that when you earned your degree you would be honored by walking on this stage. You did not anticipate that it would be deferred until today.”

Several graduates cited that exact deferment as the reason they decided not to attend the recognition ceremony. 

“I had registered to attend the recognition ceremony on Sunday but ultimately decided not to go,” said Abby Lynch, who graduated in December of 2020 with a BA in Urban Studies and Sociology. “I felt like I already lost that experience and walking across the stage now a year and a half later didn’t hold the same weight for me after everything. I tried on my graduation gown and my regalia last week, a few days before the ceremony, and honestly just broke down crying because I was sad I missed it the first time, but knew in my heart that walking across the stage now, 1.5 years later, would make me even more sad than not going at all.”

Of the students who were close to graduation when lockdown started in March of 2020, several felt as if they had to just muster through the rest of their collegiate career to try to stay afloat. Reliving the trauma of the pandemic and the memory of ending their collegiate careers isolated in their homes was enough to keep students away from the celebratory event. 

“Covid-19 took a toll on my mental health to the point of developing alopecia,” said Jose De La O Arechiga, class of 2020. “I felt as if I was not going to be able to pass the classes and not graduate on time because everything changed so quickly. I was also in the middle of an internship which was needed to graduate from the nutritional sciences program.”

De La O Archiga, who decided not to attend the in-person recognition ceremony, felt as though he already missed out on a momentous moment in his life. 

“I am not attending because I feel like the moment was taken from me and it won’t be the same,” said De La O Archiga. “I was a first-generation college student who worked hard to get to college and make my dad proud. This was a very important event in my life that was taken away. At least I am in a master’s program and I will be able to walk for my master’s degree which I believe is more important than walking for my undergraduate degree.”

As current students are adjusting to in-person classes without a mask mandate, it’s becoming harder to remember just how difficult school was at the beginning of the pandemic. 

According to a study shared by the National Library of Medicine, 71% of the students they surveyed indicated increased stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak. These included fear and worry about their own health and of their loved ones (91%), difficulty in concentrating (89%), disruptions to sleeping patterns (86%), decreased social interactions due to physical distancing (86%), and increased concerns on academic performance (82%). 

“I remember moving virtual was very chaotic,” said Lynch. “I was originally a little worried because I was struggling already with some of the content and didn’t want being virtual to make things worse. I thought lockdown would only last a couple months at the absolute most; I remember at the time hoping everything would be semi-normal by the fall 2020 semester, my final semester, so I could see everyone again and have my senior activities.”

With so many health risks and state-wide mandates in place, thousands of graduates mourned the end of their collegiate career without the traditional graduation experience. 

“I was really really sad and disappointed that I would not be walking the stage for our graduation ceremony,” said Amaya Varela, a UWM alum who graduated in August 2020 with a Bachelors of Science in Social Work. “I envisioned that moment so many times since childhood. It made matters worse to know that I could not gather with all my friends and family to celebrate either without putting anyone at risk. Although I was still excited to see my speech recording and actually graduate, I still am very bitter about the timing of things. The moment really fell flat and I will never get that back.”

Elizabeth Schultz, UWM alumni who graduated virtually in December of 2020, felt that there wasn’t enough effort made to support the graduates during the pandemic. 

“Attending [my virtual graduation ceremony] is a stretch, however I did click on the one slide that had my information, took a screenshot and closed my laptop again,” said Schultz. “I skipped all the speeches in the beginning.”

In the midst of the pandemic, there’s only so much that can be done to make a celebration feel significant. Some graduates found their own way to make the graduation feel special.

“I was glad [my graduation] was virtual because though my family and I were fully vaccinated we were very careful and not eating in restaurants or anything,” said Markia Silverman-Rodriguez, who graduated from UWM in May of 2021. “If there was a full graduation in the Panther Arena, we would not have gone. Virtually, we were able to share it with my out-of-state family that were not going to be able to travel anyway. We got dressed up and circled around the laptop.”

Despite the event taking place many months after their actual graduation, those who attended were met with a proper ceremonial experience. UWM leadership, staff and faculty donned their ceremonial garb, some with the addition of face masks and others without. The processional was backed by the traditional tune “Pomp and Circumstance.” Peck School of the Arts student Adlai Kim sang an incredible version of the National Anthem. All of the pieces of a traditional ceremony were in place. 

Katie Turyna, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in May of 2020, felt like the struggle of graduating amidst a new pandemic was finally being recognized– and celebrated.

“It was truly amazing and felt so surreal,” said Turyna of the recognition ceremony. “I got to live a moment in my life that I thought I’d never get to live, and the crowd was so emotional and I just felt really empowered and recognized. These last two years after finishing my degree were difficult for me, and so it felt not just like a long-overdue graduation ceremony, but like I made it through. Being recognized for not only finishing school but also for persevering and succeeding through hard times was truly incredible.”

Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Professor Chia Vang gave a moving speech that reminded students of the power it takes to overcome adversity. 

“Graduates, may you go into the world with a burning fire to be change agents in whatever you choose to do,” said Vang.  “May you not be defined by the last two years of deep divisions, and a raging pandemic, but instead may you have the wisdom to use what you experienced to stay hopeful, and to do things that may not yet be possible to imagine. Please expand your horizon, search far and wide, but in the end remember that the answer to your life questions are in the palm of your hand.”

Turyna, and the several hundred other graduates who were formally recognized during Sunday’s ceremony, are finally getting some well deserved closure.

“I  realized that my time in school wasn’t just about getting to graduation,” said Turyna.
It was about starting my life. It was about finishing one chapter and beginning another, and that’s what I did.”