Welcome Mark Gillard, to a Vast and Distinguished Group of Alumni

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Jennifer Brady

Saturday, May 24th marked a monumental milestone for approximately 4,000 people who filled the Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium at UMass Amherst for its 138th undergraduate commencement. Each candidate of course has a unique story about why they selected UMass, the campus, the degree in which they enrolled and of course whether they chose to earn their degree online or in the ‘traditional’ face-to-face classroom setting.

The caps and gowns were all the same; none colored separate for online and other for face-to-face. The degree conferred was the same; there is no ‘online degree’ versus ‘face-to-face degree.’ There was no separate seating for online learners. And of course the faculty, who stood proudly alongside of these thousands of graduates, is the same faculty who teach on campus… and online.

This ceremony was especially of interest to me beyond any other since it marked a significant accomplishment for our student blogger, Mark Gillard. He enrolled in the Bachelor’s of Business Administration (BBA) program offered by the Isenberg School of Management at the UMass Amherst campus two years ago through UMassOnline. He earned his degree completely online enabling him to continue to work full-time as a marketing professional for Sullivan Tire. He has often remarked that getting his degree online was just as tough if not more than earning it in the face-to-face classroom.

Joined by his fellow online BBA graduates, Mark stood among his peers from across the country and around the world as he joined a very distinguished group of alumni. And I stood in the sidelines profoundly touched by the accomplishments of those who have so many demands on their time yet are able to reach their educational goals.

Congratulations Mark on your latest achievement!

[You can view graduation photos at the UMass Amherst website here: http://www.umass.edu/commencement/2008/photos.html or on Masslive.com (click on UMass Graduation): http://www.masslive.com/graduations/photos/]

Comments

One Response to “Welcome Mark Gillard, to a Vast and Distinguished Group of Alumni”

Barbara Macaulay on May 28th, 2008 10:20 am

Congratulations, Mark! You have achieved so much and have much for which to be proud! Looking forward to hearing about your next steps, although I imagine/hope that you are enjoying some well-deserved rest!!

Best wishes,

Barbara

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