UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Behrend awarded 632 degrees at the college’s spring commencement program, held May 5 at Erie Insurance Arena.

“Our students have worked hard to get to this point,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “Their families are here. Their friends are here. They’re going out into the world, and they’re going to do well.”

The graduates were led onto the arena floor by student marshals — the students with the highest grade-point average in each of Behrend’s academic schools. This year’s marshals were:

• Hannah Gampe, of Tyrone, who represented the School of Science.
• Catlin Lowes, of Harborcreek Township, who represented the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Zoe Mouchantaf, of Beirut, Lebanon, who represented the Schreyer Honors College.
• Ryan Scott, of Erie, who represented the Black School of Business.
• Zachary Vandervort, of Reynoldsville, who represented the School of Engineering.

Dr. Ala Stanford, a health policy adviser, gave the commencement address. Stanford was named a “Top 10 CNN Hero” for her work creating the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium.

She began her college career at Behrend, before earning degrees from Penn State’s Eberly College of Science and the Penn State College of Medicine.

“Each day you wake to see a new day is a chance to be a perpetual student,” she said. “Some of you know what you want, and some of you don’t. And that’s OK. Being a continuous learner will bring you closer to figuring it out.”

For the full text of Stanford’s address, and to read the commencement program, visit the Penn State Behrend commencement page.

To learn more about the program, view the video below: