ABINGTON, Pa. — Penn State Abington awarded more than 300 degrees at its spring commencement on Friday, May 4.
The African drumming troupe Kule Mele opened the ceremony with energetic music before Chancellor Damian J. Fernandez shared his reflections based on a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
“I was as fascinated by what was contained within the frames as what lay outside them— the spaces in between the portraits — the distance, the closeness, the blank in-betweeness, that which both separates and connects all of us — an unspoken, but essential background that brings us all together as in the national gallery," he said.
“That backdrop is shared space — basic American values — that opportunity should be available to all, that talent and merit come in all sizes and shapes and colors and genders, that hard work should pay off, that we all have the right to express our humanity in ways that are authentic to each, that we all have the right to advocate for our passion and contribute to the greater good, and that we all should be respected and afforded our rights."
"Abington is part of our shared story and will always be," Fernandez added. "May what you learned here carry you forth to contribute in small and big ways to making our national story better. Make your mark."