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2015 Commencement Celebrates 117 Graduates

Commencement 2015 took place May 16 and was filled with excitement and anticipation as family members and friends joined graduates in celebrating the completion of their KGI education. While the weather may have been cold, the event was full of warmth, with smiling graduates and cheering onlookers abound.

Rabbi Daveen Litwin from the Office of Chaplains opened ceremony with the invocation and an inspiring Albert Einstein quote, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them.”

Rabbi Litwin then stated the event was to celebrate each graduate’s ability to think about the questions and solutions to the problems of our world in new and transformative ways. Building upon this proud moment and acknowledging their accomplishment, Chairman of the board of trustees, Bob Curry asked graduates to stand up and turn to thank their family and friends who supported them throughout their KGI programs.

One of the highlights of the ceremony was Student Speaker Courtney Lorraine Hanlon MS’15. Her humor and insight offered graduates and attendees a chance to relax and simply enjoy the moment. In speaking about the future and her KGI experience Hanlon said, “So classmates, my hat is off to you. You inspire those around you to make their mark in the bioscience industry. Only our shared experiences (that) will join us in our future professions. Professors, you have forced your students to strive for performance beyond what they thought possible. To my fellow graduates, I hope when you’re doing all the impressive, incredible things you’ll be doing that you’re able to do what you love and the world will love you for it.”

The KGI class of 2015 was comprised of 117 graduates. Of these, four students received both a master’s degree and a certificate, and one student earned a Ph.D in Applied Life Sciences. Forty-six students completed the Master of Bioscience program (MBS), 47 students completed the Postbac Premedical Certificate Program (PPC), 5 students completed the Postdoc Professional master’s Program (PPM), 12 students completed the M.S. program, 5 students completed the SWL Bio Science Management program, and 4 students earned a Certificate in Bio Science Management.

Virtual guests from India, Guatemala, United Arab Emirates, and the United States also attended the ceremony, which was streamed live.

For those of you were unable to watch the ceremony live or for those who wish to view the ceremony again, please click on the link below. Note: the ceremony begins at 0:59 minutes so be sure to drag the bar across to that time. http://kgi.starway.com/kgimay2015