On Saturday, Dec. 4, CSU Global celebrated the achievements of its Winter 2021 graduates! The Commencement ceremony featured a keynote address from veteran, athlete, and computer forensic analyst Redmond Ramos and remarks from CSU Global President Pamela Toney. A total of 1,461 undergraduate and 1,438 graduate degrees were conferred. The event incorporated many elements of a traditional ceremony, as well as a few modern twists—all expertly hosted by CSU Global’s Program Director for Criminal Justice, Dr. Michael Skiba.
Student Speaker
CSU Global is proud to invite an honored member of the graduating class to speak at each Commencement ceremony. Class of 2021’s Deirdre Jonker, who graduated from CSU Global in the spring with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and received her Master’s in Information Technology Management degree during December’s Commencement, joined the ceremony from Amsterdam.
Keynote Speaker
At 18 years old, Redmond Ramos joined the U.S. Marines to become a Navy Corpsman. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 where he stepped on an improvised explosive device and later lost his leg. Upon returning home, Ramos dedicated his life to motivating others. Today, he is a speaker, athlete, and computer forensic analyst. He has competed in track and swimming events for the Invictus Games, appeared on The Amazing Race, and shared his story on the Today show.
Ramos delivered an impactful speech to CSU Global graduates, their families, and friends during the ceremony, during which he shared his three rules to start living the life you were meant to live. He concluded with, “Today is not just a day to celebrate what you HAVE done, today is a day to celebrate all of the things you WILL do. I am excited to see how much you impact the world.”
Conferment of Degrees
To conclude the ceremony, President Pamela Toney congratulated the class on reaching such an important milestone. “We are honored to be part of your journey, and are thrilled to celebrate your accomplishments today,” said Toney. “Days like today are an important reminder of the positive impact that each one of us – all of us – can have in someone else's life. Even amidst the many challenges you faced with completing your degrees, you persevered. Through challenge and adversity comes opportunity – a chance to learn, to expand your thinking, and to broaden your perspective.”
The CSU Global Winter 2021 Commencement ceremony has been viewed nearly 15,000 times to date! To view the ceremony in its entirety, please click here.