Remarks by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands at the Virginia Tech Spring 2021 Commencement Ceremony

Please be seated.

Thank you, Virginia Tech Chamber Singers.

To those receiving degrees today, their families and friends, our faculty, staff and students, on behalf of the university, welcome to the Spring 2021 commencement exercises in this 150th year of the university.

We want to acknowledge our governing body, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, led by rector Horacio Valeiras. Horacio, a 1980 chemical engineering graduate, has served as a member of the Board of Visitors since 2014, and will complete his time as rector this summer. He also serves as tri-chair of Boundless Impact, the campaign for Virginia Tech. I want to thank Horacio for his dedicated leadership, especially over the past year.

I’m pleased to be joining you from Holtzman Alumni Center.

As new Virginia Tech alumni, you are a Hokie for life and will always have a home here.

We all wish we could be in Lane Stadium today for our traditional commencement ceremony, but I’m pleased we’re able to gather here virtually this evening and we’ll have opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates in person at smaller college ceremonies.

Over the past year, Hokie Nation has demonstrated that challenging times only strengthen our community.

We’ve seen extraordinary empathy, ingenuity, and accomplishments. We’re especially proud of our graduates today.  

This past year has demonstrated your strength and ability to overcome adversity.

Your experiences have prepared you to go out and confront new challenges and discover new opportunities, and we have great confidence in your success. We’re happy to be with you today here in Blacksburg, or wherever you are, to honor you and your achievements.

I hope you share your celebration on the commencement website by joining the chat and using #HokieGrad on social media.

We provided a link to your college, where you can listen to a message from your dean and hear your name called.

There are also links for the graduate school, our Roanoke and D.C. region campuses, and the Corps of Cadets. Please take the time to explore the site following the program.

Thank you as well to all the parents, grandparents, families, friends, and communities who supported our graduates this semester, your engagement has been invaluable.

Now I am pleased to introduce Joseph Kozak, PhD candidate and the 2020 Graduate Student of the Year.

Joseph will give the opening reflections followed by a message from Grant Bommer, finance major and president of the Class of 2021.