December Graduates Reflect on Time at Rockhurst

It’s been a while since Rockhurst University last hosted a December commencement ceremony in person, on campus.

That will change at 1 p.m. Saturday as approximately 200 students take the stage in Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse to celebrate with loved ones the completion of their degrees.

The University restarted the December commencement tradition last year, but due to the pandemic, held the ceremony virtually. That makes this year the first in-person winter ceremony since 2005.

Regardless of the date on the calendar, graduation brings a mix of emotions for the graduates. For some, it’s the culmination of lots of hard work to be met with the excitement of what that comes next. For Berkley Hays, an English major, film studies minor and volleyball player scheduled to deliver remarks on behalf of undergraduate students, it’s also a little intimidating.

“In all honesty, it is a bit nerve-wracking to be graduating and continuing in into my career aspirations, but I am equally excited,” she said. “There is a lot about my journey to gaining my degree that has been challenging, but I have had amazing support from my faculty, coaching staff and friends every step of the way.”

Hays said Rockhurst is where she competed in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament and where she fell in love with filmmaking. She also found a community of like-minded peers in the English department.

Others also describe their experience at Rockhurst as a fundamentally transformative one. Karen Bravo earned not only her business administration and Spanish degrees, but her U.S. citizenship in a 2019 ceremony at Kauffman Stadium, accompanied by a member of the campus ministry staff.

“That was something that I will always remember and be thankful for,” she said. “Rockhurst also showed their support during that time, and it made everything more special. Becoming a citizen was also a lifelong dream and now that I graduate in a few days it all seems surreal.”

Sara Nelson, a Bachelor of Science in nursing graduate, used the term “surreal,” too. She represents the third generation of women in her family to have graduated from what is now Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, preceded by her grandmother and her mother, who will do the honors for her daughter at Saint Luke’s pinning ceremony. She said it’s almost overwhelming to be able to follow in their footsteps.

“I still cannot put it into words the meaning behind that to me,” she said. “Through this whole journey my grandma and my mom have been the ones guiding me and motivating me.”

Despite different paths, degree programs and experiences, one thing unites these graduates — the reality of being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic. As he reflected, Louis Angles, a Bachelor of Science in nursing graduate, said the onset of the pandemic was the defining event of his time as a student, forcing him and his peers to adjust quickly. It’s led to perhaps an even greater sense of accomplishment in getting to the end for this ironman competitor.

“It’s like crossing the finish line of a race, only this race had a pandemic introduced at the start of the program,” he said.

The pandemic colored every part of his experience as a student, Angles said. But he said he looks back with pride on being able to serve Saint Luke’s Hospice Care patients, caring for COVID-19 patients and pitching in for families in need as part of a service project. Despite the uncertainty that comes with such a milestone, several of the students said the pandemic revealed their true strengths, as well as those of the community around them — from the staff and faculty who went above and beyond to their fellow students who supported each other. Hays said she focused on this in her speech to the graduates for a reason.

“When I look forward to the future, I find peace in that fact — no matter what the world throws at us, we know how to adapt and thrive,” she said.