Even with virtual ceremony, UCF grads still want an in-person event
Amanda Paolicelli’s graduation day will be a little quieter than the pomp and circumstance she envisioned just a few months ago.
Instead of standing before thousands in UCF’s basketball arena, the aspiring actress will have her moment in the spotlight 45 minutes from campus, in the backyard of her family’s south Orlando home. She plans to walk across a makeshift wood stage on Saturday, with just her parents, younger sister and possibly her boyfriend or best friend in the audience.
“It wasn’t the way I expected it at all,” said Paolicelli, a 21-year-old who majored in theater. “I remember starting the semester, my friends and I were so excited.”
Like thousands of University of Central Florida graduates this spring, Paolicelli is missing the commencement ceremonies that typically pack Addition Financial Arena with graduates and their loved ones. Those events are canceled at UCF and all of the other state universities to help limit the spread of co
ronavirus.
But this spring’s graduates won’t go unrecognized: UCF plans virtual ceremonies for each of the colleges that will be broadcast online throughout the day Saturday. The names of each graduate will be read aloud and Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin, former UCF football stars and current Seattle Seahawks, are lined up to speak.
The university expects to award more than 8,500 degrees during the ceremonies, setting a new springsemester record. That number includes roughly 7,160 bachelor’s degrees, 1,245 master’s degrees and 145 doctorates. And, to the relief of Paolicelli and many of her peers, the university has also said it plans to host a more traditional in-person event when it is safe to do so.
“It’s a little sad, but I do like how the university is doing two ceremonies and they keep reassuring us
we’re going to have an inperson ceremony soon,” Paolicelli said.
This year’s graduates were met with myriad disappointments as they wrapped up their college careers: Their campuses were shuttered as classes switched to an online-only format, their graduation ceremonies were canceled and the job market, which was was rosy during the first quarter of this year, suddenly went sour.
Some companies are rescinding job and internship offers or delaying making new hires. Others are laying off employees and implementing pay cuts.
Simon Dharmakirthi, who is receiving a bachelor’s degree in digital media from UCF, wants to stay in Orlando and is applying for positions in web design here.
“There were a lot of jobs open before,” Dharmakirthi said. “Now, there’s significantly less.”
The 23-year-old understands why the crowded inperson commencement ceremonies were called off
— he has a bone condition that puts him at high risk if he gets sick. Still, he was looking forward to the day. Two of his sisters were planning to fly in for the occasion, including one who is in South Sudan working for the United Nations. The family has had to put off the celebration for now and Dharmakirthi said he’s also planning to attend a future in-person ceremony. He ordered his cap and gown in February.
In the meantime, he said he’ll tune into Saturday’s online ceremony.
“It’s going to be kind of weird because they’re just going to be calling out names, but my family’s proud and they want me to participate,” Dharmakirthi said, adding “It’s going to be memorable, for sure.”
As a photographer, Bernabe Soriano said he won’t miss the opportunity to take pictures wearing his cap and gown and wants to walk in an in-person ceremony later. Not being able to do it now “doesn’t diminish the accomplishment,” the 22-year-old from Okeechobee said, but it’s a blow.
The moment was to be particularly meaningful for Soriano because it’s a milestone for his whole family.
“I’m the first one in my family to get a bachelor’s degree,” he said. “To them, it’s going to be a big deal when they hear our family name get called.”