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More than 700 graduates of the Class of 2020 returned to Wake Forest University today to cross the stage in front of Wait Chapel for a long-awaited in-person launch ceremony in their honor.
The open-air ceremony began at 9 a.m. in Hearn Plaza under a blue sky. A virtual celebration took place in May 2020, but class members were invited to campus this weekend to celebrate with their families, friends and faculty on campus.
Mellie Mesfin, who was chair of the Wake Forest student government when the pandemic began, was among the speakers at today’s celebration of the Class of 2020.
“We can now join the ranks of thousands of Demon Deacons who celebrated their badge-bearing graduation ceremonies, among friends and family on Hearn Plaza,” Mesfin said. “We have had the time and space to process the ways in which our experiences on this campus have irrevocably shaped who we are as people. We have begun to see the fruits of our academic labor bear fruit in our personal lives and professional.
President Emeritus Nathan O. Hatch, who retired in June, was invited to deliver the keynote address.
Hatch recognized the difficult road traveled by the graduates and praised their resilience and achievements.
“As you begin your second year as a Wake Forest graduate, I encourage you to live in hope,” he said. “We should have hope because each of us, each member of the Class of 2020, has tremendous power and creativity to do good. Take pleasure in doing the right thing even when the future is unknown.
Graduates threw their caps in the air at the end of the program, to applause from guests. Dozens of professors lined up to speak with the graduates and congratulate them with handshakes and hugs.
A live webcast of the ceremony is available here.
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