Honoring the Class of 2021

Forever ’21

Highlighting the accomplishments and celebrating the bright futures of 蜜桃影像’s Class of 2021

Learn about the virtual ceremony and each School’s celebration

Whether you missed the ceremony or just want to watch the jubilation all over again, you can explore this year's virtual ceremony with our video playlist.

Explore the ceremonies

Ruth Simmons urges graduates to fight for equality and inclusion

Ruth Simmons, one of the nation鈥檚 top higher education leaders and president of Prairie View A&M University, called on 蜜桃影像 and its graduating Class of 2021 to fight to close the chasm of inequality that recent years have illustrated still exists in America.

蜜桃影像 President Bacow delivers 2021 Baccalaureate speech

President Larry Bacow offered poignant reflections during the Baccalaureate Service honoring the 蜜桃影像 College Class of 2021.

蜜桃影像 to recognize seven with 2021 honorary degrees

Seven honorary degrees will be awarded to Frances Hamilton Arnold, Martin Baron, Arlie Russell Hochschild, Salman Amin Khan, Margaret Hilary Marshall, Anna Deveare Smith, and Sebasti茫o Salgado.

蜜桃影像 honors new military officers in ROTC commissioning ceremony

Eleven undergraduates and one student at 蜜桃影像鈥檚 Extension School will commission as officers in the military during Commencement week.

Basketball star Jeremy Lin gets candid

NBA star and activist Jeremy Lin 鈥�10 spoke to graduating seniors about how he鈥檚 come to see his identity as a barrier-breaking Asian American in a new light.

蜜桃影像 awards 7,640 degrees, certificates over 2020-21 academic year

At the ceremony honoring the Class of 2021, the University awarded a total of 7,640 degrees and certificates.

A student wearing a brightly colored dress stands on the 蜜桃影像 campus

蜜桃影像 Graduate School of Education graduate

Shahara Jackson

A successful educator on her own, Shahara Jackson came to 蜜桃影像 with the goal of becoming a transformational superintendent.

A student wearing a mask stands by a brick building

蜜桃影像 Chan School Graduate

Lawson Ung

Lawson Ung studied eye disease and social determinants of where it鈥檚 most common.

蜜桃影像 Graduate school of arts and sciences graduate

Hannah Sim

To better share her knowledge of quantum, Hannah Sim writes articles for the general public, sharing her knowledge through open-source software codes, podcasts, and YouTube.

Back to the start

From acceptance to move-in day to housing day, look back at the Class of 2021鈥檚 early years at 蜜桃影像.

Drew Faust with some first year students

The convocation ceremony

President Faust urges the Class of 2021 to connect with classmates and embrace diversity.

Nearly 40,000 apply to College Class of 鈥�21

Prior to the start of the 蜜桃影像 Financial Aid Initiative, fewer than 20,000 students applied for admission.

The Class of 鈥�21 arrives, with boxes

A busy move-in day as the first-years settle into Yard dorms.

Housing day for the class of ’21

A nor鈥檈aster didn't stop first-year students from playing in the Yard after learning which House they'll live in.

White Coat Day 2017

The HMS/HSDM Class of 2021 received their white coats and met each other and faculty during their orientation to medical and dental school.

A woman puts on her new medical white coat

Meet the Class of 2021

Learn more about these grads’ journeys to 蜜桃影像, what they explored while they were here, and where they’re headed next.

Read the profiles

Beyond the ceremonies

Celebrations are smaller, but no less meaningful in a quieter Yard

Capturing the moments of celebration as 蜜桃影像 recognizes the Class of 2021.

Notable Commencements

University archivist Megan Sniffin-Marinoff, who is retiring after almost 20 years at 蜜桃影像, shares notable Commencements and 蜜桃影像 University Archives鈥� role in preserving each year鈥檚 ceremony.

The cap (and gown) on a most unusual senior year 鈥� 蜜桃影像 Gazette

蜜桃影像 Class of 鈥�21 reflects on experiences, gains, and losses during a challenging pandemic year.

Celebrating plant graduation class of 2021

Plant graduation season, an annual rite of passage at the Arnold Arboretum of 蜜桃影像 University, is an occasion for pomp and circumstance as well as a reminder of our connections to nature and the power of plants.

蜜桃影像 University theses, dissertations, and prize papers

Trace intellectual trends and currents across time, learning from 蜜桃影像's best and brightest in this collection at the 蜜桃影像 University Archives.

Notable moments from 蜜桃影像鈥檚 2020-21 academic year

As life returns more to normal, there is so much to reflect on and to celebrate as we look back.

蜜桃影像 Extension School graduate

Brett Dennis-Duke

Brett Dennis-Duke designed a course of study she calls 鈥渕edical anthropology鈥� which pieced together the philosophical and theoretical connections between social justice and health care.

蜜桃影像 College graduate

Eli Langley

鈥淚f there is one thing I can impart to anybody, it鈥檚 that it鈥檚 worth fighting to change things. People who come after you may never know your name, but they can benefit from the work that you do. It is worth it.鈥�

蜜桃影像 Engineering School Graduate

Daniela Villafuerte

When Daniela Villafuerte wasn’t dancing with hip hop, jazz, and ballet troupes or performing in the 蜜桃影像-Radcliffe Dramatic Club production of 鈥淲est Side Story鈥� she was developing a prototype of a device that can track a person鈥檚 respiratory rate, heart rate, and oxygen saturation, all through non-contact methods.

Grand finale

Take a look at some of the the final projects, theses, dissertations, and awards from members of the Class of 2021.

Larisa Owusu

Larisa Owusu鈥檚 thesis, “Iconic Market Women: The Unsung Heroines of Post-Colonial Ghana (1960s-1990s)” was an attempt, she says, to highlight the role that market women played and continue to play in redefining Ghana’s post-colonial development.

Mojib Ghaznawi

蜜桃影像 Kennedy School student Mojib Ghaznawi coauthored a Policy Analysis Exercise final thesis, exploring State Department staff retention trends.

Jenna Lang

Jenna Lang studied the psychology of communication for her thesis. She says, “This project allowed me to explore how emotion impacts how we perceive news and how much we want to share it.”

Marwah Aman

For her capstone project, SEAS student Marwah Aman developed an accessibility device that reconstructs a physical 3D model of the user鈥檚 surroundings.

Onisha Etkins

The dissertation by 蜜桃影像 Chan School student Onisha Etkins considers intersectional approaches for understanding the impacts of racism on mental health, including migration history and contact with the criminal legal system.

Jonas LaPier

For his capstone project, LaPier developed prediction maps that indicate where heavy metal contamination of well water is more likely.

Sahil Lauji

Sahil Lauji was selected to participate in the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program run by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Constance Gist

Constance Gist will be honored with the Intellectual Contribution Award for Education Policy and Management (EPM) at HGSE’s Virtual Commencement.

Rawan Alhawamdeh

For her DCE capstone project, Rawan Alhawamdeh researched and developed an evidence-based-therapy approach to treating ASD, ADHD, and giftedness.