University Confers 300-plus Degrees at 2024 Winter Commencement

Pomp and circumstance were the order of the morning Saturday at the Plattsburgh State Field House when some 325 December graduates crossed the dais to hearty congratulations by President Alexander Enyedi.

Students filed into the field house gymnasium where they were greeted by family and friends in the bleachers. They were followed to their seats by members of the university faculty and staff, dressed in the regalia of their own colleges and universities, escorted by members of the RCMP C-Division Pipes and Drums out of Montreal, and Marshal and SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, Dr. Mohamed Gaber, carrying the university mace as a senior-most faculty member.

Once faculty were seated, members of the administration, University Council and community were escorted by Gaber as well.

“Good morning, Cardinals,” Enyedi said, welcoming the grads. “It is my pleasure to welcome you to our 2024 Winter Commencement.” Following the National Anthem, Enyedi acknowledged “that our campus is situated on the land that belongs to the Iroquois, Western Abenaki, Mohican and Mohawk peoples.

Honoring Indigenous Caretakers

“We honor the original caretakers of this and surrounding land and offer respect to the Haudenosaunee, who are still here. This land and body of water, now known as Lake Champlain, was inhabited and nurtured by these peoples for thousands of years. We must dop the same to nurture and protect this sacred land. This statement is a mere fraction of the steps needed to fight against systemic indigenous erasure.”

He continued: “We are settlers on their land, and we strive to be accountable by remembering this history and cultivating respect in our relationships with our Indigenous neighbors and the land.”

After introducing the platform guests, which included SUNY Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts recipient Xu-Xi “Sussy” Komala, and student speaker, Sukhpreet Kaur, Enyedi recognized students graduating with honors and those who serve in the military.

Special consideration was paid to faculty and staff who “have supported all of our graduates throughout their educational journey,” he said. “In addition to the dedicated faculty and staff, there are many others who have been crucial to your success — specifically, your family members, partners, loved ones friends. These individuals have provided the encouragement and support that made it possible for you to reach this moment. Some of you would not be graduating today without them.”

Xu-Xi ‘Sussy’ Komala

Enyedi then brought Komala to the podium, celebrated author, editor, educator and member of the Class of 1974 in English who has made contributions to literature and creative writing worldwide. Komala currently holds the Jenks Chair in Contemporary Letters at the College of the Holy Cross.

In her taking the podium, Komala thanked SUNY for the honor, saying, “It’s undeserved, since I didn’t really do the homework to earn it. But I’m deeply grateful and proud to be an alum of the Class of 1974. SUNY Plattsburgh set me on the path of what became a wonderful career and life, one that somehow earned this honor.”

With the graduates before her, Komala shared the story of “two valuable lessons that prepared me for challenges in my career and life.

“In 1971, to meet phys ed requirements, I enrolled in trampolining. I’d never trampolined before; it seemed exciting. At the first class, Coach Bud Beyer said, ‘To pass this course, you must do a front flip.’ I freaked; I told Coach, ‘No way.’ He looked at me in the eye and said, ‘Don’t worry. You can do it.’’

Step by Step

She said that over the semester, he built up her confidence by taking them step by step.

“If at first you fail, he said, try again. Well, I eventually did that front flip and passed. A valuable lesson: You can do what may seem too difficult if you’re not afraid to try,” she said.

In her junior year, she took the late Dr. Bruce Butterfield’s Western Europe literature course.

“By then, I’d been getting A’s in English, did well in courses that required papers, and figured I could ace this,” Komala said. “Imagine my horror when I got my first paper back with red scribblings on every page and a grade of C.

“But what I discovered, once I read through all the comments was this: Never underestimate what you still can learn if you rise to the challenge. Here was a professor who truly challenged me. I learned to read my assignments much more closely and write better papers. And I earned my A.”

‘Got that A’

She shared stories from the field, rising to the challenge and succeeding because she tried. Her final lesson was about teaching an MFA program at City University in Hong Kong, leaving her partner behind in New York to do so, but to great results there, only to have the university close the program after four years. Instead of accepting the outcome, she proposed to administration a plan to make sure the remaining students earned their MFAs, graduating the last one in 2016.

“I also got the students a budget to compile and publish an anthology of their creative writing,” she said. “They wanted, and deserved, something to prove their short-lived degree signified. By the time I left, I felt like I got that ‘A.’ Today, I still hear from graduates who continue to write, publish, get jobs and do well, which softens the sting of the program’s closure.

“Rising to that challenge enhanced my professional profile and several universities in Asia, the United Kingdom and United States contacted me about international MFAs,” she said. And of the partner she had to leave behind, she said, “Our relationship survived the distance, and he’s now my husband.

Take Away Own ‘Best Lessons’

“That’s one short story how Plattsburgh served my life and career well. Congratulations, graduates. Take away your own best lessons and lead wonderful lives,” Komala told them.

Enyedi then stood and reminded those gathered “for one of the most significant and joyous moments in your lives: Celebrating your achievements as graduates of SUNY Plattsburgh,” he said. “Graduates, this day belongs to you. This day is the culmination of your perseverance, curiosity and growth. We are deeply honored you chose SUNY Plattsburgh as the place to learn, explore, and pursue your goals. Your presence has enriched this campus in countless ways, leaving a legacy that will inspire those who follow.”

He told them that this perseverance and determination has made them career-ready as well as “equipped with the critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities that will guide you in making meaningful contributions to the world.

“To our first-generation graduates, your accomplishments today hold extraordinary meaning. You have set a new standard for what is possible, blazing a trail for others to follow,” Enyedi said. “In this moment, surrounded by those who love and believe in you, take pride in all you’ve achieved. Know that we are immensely proud of you.

“Congratulations, Class of 2024,” Enyedi said. “Go forward boldly, and remember — you will always be a part of the Cardinal family.”

Presentation of Candidates

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Marcus Tye presented the candidates for both master’s degrees and undergraduate degrees, saying as they stood each in turn as a group, “President Enyedi, on behalf of the faculty of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, I am pleased to recommend these candidates be granted the (degrees) which they have earned.”

To which Enyedi said, “On the recommendation of the outstanding faculty and by virtue of the authority invested in me by the Trustees of the State University of New York, I hereby confer upon you the degrees you have earned, with all the rights, responsibilities and privileges pertaining thereunto.”

As is the tradition at SUNY Plattsburgh for a student member of the graduating class to be featured speaker, Enyedi brought Kaur to the podium.

“Sukhpreet choose SUNY Plattsburgh because of our strong support for international students, its reputation for academic excellence and its beautiful campus,” Enyedi said in his introduction. “The biomedical sciences program aligned perfectly with her interest in healthcare and research.”

Kaur hopes after graduation to start and operate her own pharmaceutical or cosmetic company someday, he said.

“She has always dreamed of using her education and entrepreneurial spirit to develop products that improve people’s lives. It is a goal that is deeply personal to her, and she remains committed to working hard to make it a reality,” Enyedi said.

Power of ‘Not Knowing’

Kaur welcomed her classmates by saying, “Jo Bole So Nihaal SatShriakal, the Punjabi way of greeting.

“Today, we gather to celebrate what we do know. For most of our lives, we’ve measured our accomplishments in terms of awards, certificates and honors — the trophies that fill the shelves in our childhood homes,” Kaur said. “These symbols of knowledge and achievement helped get us here. But as I stand her with you, the Class or 2024, I want to share something counterintuitive that I’ve learned from this journey: The power of not knowing.”

Kaur grew up in India, the eldest daughter in a South Asian household, she said.

“Being the first in my family to attend college here in the United States meant there was a lot I didn’t know. When it was time to apply to colleges, I asked my parents how to apply. They said, ‘We don’t know.’

“Those words used to make me feel powerless, as if ‘I don’t know’ was an ending with no way forward. But as I made my way from India to the United States, I began to redefine that feeling of uncertainty. I realized that in every instance of not knowing there was an invitation to discover.”

Journey Uniquely ‘My Own’

She would turn time and again to a Sikh prayer, which reminded her to stay courageous in the face of the unknown regardless of the challenges ahead.

“Biomedical sciences was a field I hadn’t even heard of before coming here,” Kaur said. “Yet here I am today, graduating with a degree in it. My journey is uniquely my own, but SUNY Plattsburgh has shaped each of our stories in countless ways. The opportunities here encouraged us to grow, the resources helped us gain knowledge, and the challenges allowed us to ask questions and uncover who we truly are.

“These years taught us the skills to step confidently into the workforce or graduate school, to become the best versions of ourselves,” she said. “And though I, like many of you, am still uncertain where life will take me next, I know that SUNY Plattsburgh has instilled in us the confidence to succeed no matter where we go.”

Struggles, Challenges Met

She discussed the struggles she endured, as many of her classmates endured. She mentioned the pandemic but said that without the pandemic, “we wouldn’t have the stories of braving a global crisis to share with our future grandkids. Without those all-nighters, we wouldn’t have those crazy memories of pushing through together.

“Without heartbreaks, we wouldn’t have leaned on our support systems, realizing that our friends could help us feel whole even when we felt broken. And without those rejections, we wouldn’t have learned that what we thought was our ‘dream job’ might not have been our dream all along,” she said.

“Every one of these struggles has added to our story; each challenge has shaped us and prepared us for whatever comes next. To the SUNY Plattsburgh community, to our friends, and to our families: Thank you for being part of this journey and helping us become who we are today.”

Support System Made it Possible

Kaur’s greatest support system was in the audience, including her younger brother, Manheer, “who has been my rock these four years. My mother is my inspiration, she sacrificed so much to see me reach this point (and) growing up, my father would say that an Indian woman is always dependent on others: Her father, then her husband, then her son. But I wanted to be different. I wanted independence and education was my path to that freedom.”

She paid tribute to her parents, who flew in from India to attend their daughter’s commencement.

“I’m grateful to my mom and dad for giving me wings and the courage to fly halfway across the world to find my place,” she said. And then, “Class of 2024, as we close this chapter, my wish for you is to embrace the power of not knowing. May every unknown ahead be a doorway to discovery. Remember, not having all the answers is part of the journey. It keeps us curious, grounded and open to life’s surprises.

“Trust in the magic within you, and let the uncertainty guide you to places beyond imagination.”

Tassels Move, Right to Left

Kaur then led graduates in the official tassel change, saying, “Together as Cardinals, it is time for us to leave this nest, spread our wings and soar onward.

“Today, I am honored to have been conferred the rights by virtue of the Office of the Student Association president, to help mark this passage for the Class of 2024.”

Instructing her classmates to rise, Kaur then said, “On the count of three, please join me in moving your tassel from the right side of your mortarboards to the left over your heart, the true home, your alma mater, SUNY Plattsburgh.  Congratulations, Class of 2024,” she said to cheers.

Enyedi then introduced Justin Elmendorf, member of the Class of 2004 and president of the Plattsburgh Alumni Association, who welcomed graduates into the alumni fold and urged them to keep in touch and return in the fall for their first homecoming as SUNY Plattsburgh alumni.

Enyedi then wished graduates “much success in your careers and lives. You entered today as students. You leave as graduates. And you remain Cardinals forever. I encourage you to take time to see a professor or mentor who is here today before you leave.”

Friday Receptions Held

Prior to Saturday’s ceremony, several offices and departments hosted receptions for their affinity groups. The Office of Alumni Affairs celebrated soon-to-be alumni Friday afternoon in the Flynt Commons, with Enyedi raising a red mug, a gift to graduates from the Plattsburgh Alumni Association, in a toast, and Elmendorf honored grads ahead of his official welcome to the alumni fold at Saturday’s ceremony.

In the Educational Opportunity Program, three of the organization’s eight grads received their cords, EOP pins and certificates of accomplish during a reception in the EOP suite in Macomb Hall. And SUNY Plattsburgh adult learners were feted during a reception earlier Friday to congratulate them on their accomplishments, many of whom returned to class after starting families and careers.

A livestream of Saturday morning’s ceremony can be found at https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/commencement/livestream.html.

— Story, Photos by Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs

— Adult Learner Photo by Hunter Mossey, Multimedia Coordinator, Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing