Four years after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a resilient
cohort of students, adorned in caps and gowns, claimed their
well-deserved undergraduate and graduate degrees during Old
Dominion University's 140th Commencement exercises.
Their journey, marked by adapting to online classes, forging
connections through virtual platforms and transitioning from
screens to real-life interactions, serves as a testament to the
power of perseverance and grit.
In a culminating moment, on May 3 and 4, the University
conferred 2,008 undergraduate and 687 graduate degrees to students
in two commencement ceremonies.
On May 4, undergraduate degrees were presented in an outdoor
ceremony at Kornblau Field in S.B. Ballard Stadium to students from
the College of Arts and Letters, the Strome College of Business,
the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies, the
Batten College of Engineering and Technology, the College of Health
Sciences, the College of Sciences, the School of Cybersecurity and
the School of Nursing.
The keynote speaker, Capt. Janet H. Days ’99, commanding officer
for Naval Station Norfolk — the first Black woman to hold the
position — not only praised the graduates for their hard work and
dedication but implored them to, “in Monarch fashion,” show their
appreciation for everyone who had helped them “get here today.”
“This is a team sport,” she said.
Two honorary doctorate of humane letters degrees were also
conferred during the ceremony. ODU President Brian O. Hemphill,
Ph.D., awarded one to Capt. Days, making her a double alumnus of
the University, and another to Del. Barry Knight, who has
represented the 98th district in the Virginia General Assembly
since 2009, making him an official alumnus of ODU.
During the advanced degree ceremony, held on May 3 at Chartway
Arena, education specialist, master’s and doctoral degrees were
awarded. Lawrence “Larry” Weinstein, Eminent Scholar and professor
in ODU’s Physics Department, was the featured speaker.
During Saturday’s commencement ceremony, President Hemphill
charged graduates to represent the University with pride.
“As a proud Monarch graduate, you should remain committed to the
principles of public service and engagement,” Hemphill said.
“As a proud graduate, you should share your pride in ODU and
encourage others to do the same.
“And as a proud graduate, you should continue the relationship
with the University as an active and engaged alumni.
“And as a proud graduate, you should do what you can to put an
ODU education within reach of the talented prospective
students.
“And finally, as a proud graduate, you should uphold the ODU
commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth.”
Undergraduate Ceremony
Capt. Days, a graduate of the Strome College of Business and the
University’s Naval ROTC enlisted commissioning program, reflected
on her time as an ODU graduate and imparted lessons she had learned
on her journey since then.
“Exactly 25 years ago, almost to the day, I graduated from this
University,” she said. “I had no idea in 1999, that I would one day
make history, and everyone here today has the potential to be a
part of a historic moment.”
“You never know where your decisions today will lead you but
remain encouraged and confident that there is a plan.”
Days reminded graduates that while their paths forward may not
be linear, it is how they attack challenges that sets the
trajectory for their futures.
“With life comes ups and downs, laughter, joy and sorrow,” Days
said. “It’s how we navigate those storms, make course changes, pay
attention to what direction the wind is blowing and use the tools
you have learned here at Old Dominion University that chart your
course.”
Days reflected on all she had learned and the challenges she
faced in her pursuit of a military career during a time when women
were not allowed to serve — comparing her journey to the process of
securely anchoring a ship.
“The vessel should bind easily in bad weather, providing ample
scope for chain issues,” she said. “There will be times in your
journey when it is necessary to reevaluate the landscape, adjust
and recalibrate. Like the precision associated with anchoring a
warship, take the time to redefine.”
Days emphasized the importance of collaboration, saying that
“anchoring a warship takes an entire team” and “a team begins with
relationships.” She encouraged graduates to lean on the connections
they have forged throughout college, because they are lifelong.
She illustrated that “while even the most astute mariner is a
master of his craft, no rule states that you have to have it all
figured out.” She urged graduates to have someone they can trust
and always call for help and know that one day they may be called
upon to return the favor. “Asking for help is not a sign of
weakness,” she said.
While we must learn to lean on others, Days stressed that
self-sufficiency is equally important. “One of the reasons we have
the greatest Navy in the world is that it’s self-sustainable,” she
said. “It’s our ability to replenish fuel and stores while we are
at sea that allows us to deploy all are over the world.”
Days concluded with an important message about self-care.
“Before techniques of underway replenishment were developed, ships
that ran low on supplies had to return to port,” she said. “No
matter what you do, you must find the space and time to recharge
your batteries.”
She told graduates to “look at your neighbor and say, ‘Self-care
is not selfish.’”
At the end of her remarks, Days shared tips for success,
including put the mission first, be thoughtful of the climate you
create, know that you can have it all but not all at the same time,
and finally, “remember who you are and why you do what you do.”
Advanced Degree Ceremony
Weinstein, a physics professor and Eminent Scholar at Old
Dominion, continued the longstanding tradition of having a faculty
member serve as speaker at the advanced degree ceremony on Friday
night.
“Why did you do this?” he asked the soon-to-be graduates, decked
out in their caps and gowns. Besides better employment
opportunities, two other reasons stand out. The first, he said, is
the ability to teach oneself.
“I hope your teachers have brought you to the point where we are
no longer needed and you can now learn on your own,” he said,
adding that a rapidly changing society makes “lifelong learning a
crucial skill.”
Quoting an early 20th century Oxford professor of moral and
metaphysical philosophy, he said the second reason is more subtle,
namely the ability to detect “BS.”
“So how do we detect BS?” Weinstein asked. “A historian would
check dates and events. A philosopher would use logic. I’m a
scientist, so I use numbers. If a story quotes numbers, do they
give a reputable source? Do they compare their numbers to a
sensible standard?”
He emphasized the importance of critical thinking, whether
that’s in the consumption of news or in the estimation of people
but he acknowledged that doing so takes work. It’s much easier to
put people in boxes, he said. “But we are each far more complex
than any simple box.”
“Go and use your hard-won education to follow your dreams, to
put bread on your tables, to keep learning and, most importantly,
to think for yourselves.”
A livestream of both commencement ceremonies is
available online.
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ABOUT OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY Old Dominion
University, located in Norfolk, is Virginia's forward-focused
public doctoral research university with more than 23,000 students,
a top R1 research ranking, rigorous academics, an energetic
residential community and initiatives that contribute $2.6 billion
annually to Virginia's economy. Learn more at odu.edu.
Kenya Godette
Old Dominion University
757-683-6479
kgodette@odu.edu