Congratulations Fall 2020 Grads!

My sincerest congratulations to the graduates of ECU’s School of Communication!

This has been an incredible and unprecedented year to be sure. In these unsettling times in particular, I am incredibly impressed with your hard work, determination and perseverance.

You have had to deal with a lot this year. Many of you have either been ill or taken care of a friend or family member who has suffered. You have moved in and out of dorms, apartments, houses and towns. You have gotten jobs, changed jobs and lost jobs. But these things did not deter you. You continued to persevere.

Your classes moved online. They were in semester; they were in blocks. They were 15 weeks long; they were eight weeks long. Amid this chaos, you persisted.

You impress me. Graduates, we in the School of Communication are all so proud of your hard work and your achievements.

Even before the stress and change that came with COVID, you impressed us. You have met and exceeded our expectations of you and our requirements for you.

We know that it hasn’t all been easy. Throughout your years at ECU, you have worked tirelessly to earn this degree. Some of you have juggled classes and jobs and careers and families and injuries or illnesses. Some of you have struggled as you pulled all-nighters and gave up your weekend time to complete multiple demanding assignments in your classes. When we asked you to make the most of your time spent here in the School of Communication, you responded enthusiastically. You embraced class assignments, met with professors outside of class, and participated in organizations such as PRSSA. You attended guest lectures and programs in the evenings or on weekends. You immersed yourselves in challenges and in opportunities and benefitted from them all.

You graduate today as savvy and confident individuals with the credentials you need to excel in a variety of professions in communication. On behalf of our faculty and staff members in the School of Communication, I commend each of you for all that you have done to make this important day a reality.

Whatever your plans are next, please know that we are cheering for you. And, here are my closing words of wisdom to each one of you:

Be confident in your degree.

Be confident in the knowledge you have.

Be confident in the skills and the abilities that you now possess.

Be confident that you are ready for the next step in your journey—whatever that step might be for you.

From all of us in the School of Communication, we wish you good luck in your journey. Congratulations!

-Dr. Linda Kean, School of Communication Director