UCCS conferred nearly 1,600 degrees to students from the Classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 during the spring 2022 Commencement ceremonies, held at the Broadmoor World Arena.
UCCS awarded 21 doctoral degrees, 353 master’s degrees and 1,223 bachelor’s degrees to graduates of the spring 2022 semester during the May 13 event, hosted at the Broadmoor World Arena. More than 1,200 graduates and their families celebrated alongside UCCS faculty, staff and students, including 25 graduates from the Classes of 2020 and 2021, who returned to walk across the Commencement stage after having celebrated their graduation virtually.
Venkat Reddy, Chancellor of UCCS, Todd Saliman, President of the University of Colorado system, and Hadeel Khammash, recipient of the 2022 Student Achievement Award, addressed graduates during the day’s ceremonies.
“Graduates, you rose above every single setback you faced,” Reddy said in his address. “You demonstrated courage and resilience, and you did not give up on your dreams. Your triumph today is not just that you have succeeded in the face of difficulty — it is that you are stronger and better equipped to take on any obstacle that may come your way.”
“As you graduate today, you will go back out into the world – using the work of your minds and your hearts to make it a better place.”
“Some people attribute success in life to good luck, and yes, a little bit of luck never hurt anyone,” said Todd Saliman, President of the CU System. “But as the French scientist Louis Pasteur once said, ‘Chance favors only the prepared mind.’ All of you are prepared.”
“CU will always be there for you — like it has been for me — as you make your way in the world,” Saliman continued. “The network of incredible people, and the knowledge, skills and experience you gained during your time here, all are forever part of you. All of it will help you get where you’re going.”
During the morning ceremony, which celebrated the graduates of the UCCS College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, Khammash, a biomedical sciences major with a minor in leadership, spoke about the importance of family in shaping graduates and supporting them throughout their journeys.
“When things got hard over the years, my family caught me when I fell, and celebrated with me when I succeeded,” Khammash said. “They are the reason I can look back on my time at UCCS and with great confidence say ‘I have succeeded here.’ Without them, I would not be standing here today in front of all of you.”
“I want to lead with the courage, love and passion of my mom, the tenacity, caring and heart of my dad, the ambition of my older sister, Sara, and the lightheartedness and joy of my little sister, Ramah,” Khammash continued, before giving thanks to her family in Arabic.
The ceremony included a celebration of five Golden Graduates, members of the Class of 1972 who celebrated 50 years since their own UCCS graduation. It also recognized Kyle Hybl, Regent Emeritus of the University of Colorado, with a Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his many years of service to both UCCS and CU.
To close the ceremonies, CU Regents Ilana Dubin Spiegel and Ken Montera delivered the traditional Norlin Charge to graduates. The charge dates back to CU Boulder president George Norlin’s delivery of the June 1935 Commencement ceremony. The words of the Norlin Charge are now read to the graduating class each year at each of the four CU campuses, as a reminder that graduates will carry their experiences at the university with them forever.
“Commencement does not mean, as many wrongly think, the breaking of ties and the beginning of life apart,” reads the charge. “Rather, it marks your initiation in the fullest sense into the fellowship of the university, as bearers of her torch, as centers of her influence, as promoters of her spirit.”
“The university consists of all who come into and go forth from her halls, who are touched by her influence and who carry on her spirit. Wherever you go, the university goes with you. Wherever you are at work, there is the university at work.”
About the UCCS Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremonies
The UCCS spring 2022 Commencement ceremonies celebrated degrees conferred to nearly 1,600 graduates. More than 1,200 attended the morning and afternoon ceremonies at the Broadmoor World Arena on May 13, 2022, along with family and friends. See the full Commencement program online. View the livestreamed ceremony on YouTube.