In his native language of Armenian, Nareg Seferian told classmates at the Virginia Tech Northern Virginia graduate-school commencement exercises, the word “hoki” means “loved one” and “hokis” translate to “soul” or “spirit.”
In attending Virginia Tech, nicknamed the Hokies, “I felt like I fit in immediately,” Seferian said.
Nearly 150 students attended the May 14 commencement ceremony, offered as an alternative to the main university commencement held in Blacksburg on May 10. It was the 43rd commencement held by Virginia Tech in Northern Virginia.
“So much of my life and world view has been shaped by time in classrooms,” said Seferian, one of two students to speak on behalf of classmates at the ceremony. “What that education has formed will stay with us forever.”
Students earned degrees up to the doctoral level (Seferian received a doctorate in planning/governance/globalization). The new graduates are “poised to make an indelible mark as the next generation of leaders,” said Chontrese Hayes, assistant dean of the graduate school.
Also earning a degree was Mariah Damon, who successfully worked toward a master’s in business administration with a concentration in hospitality and tourism management.
“What have I learned?” Damon asked of her Virginia Tech experience. “I truly think it is the value of community.”
“Ride every transition, hone your craft, be the best at what you do,” Damon told classmates at the ceremony, held at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts.
Mircea Geoană, the deputy Secretary General of NATO and a former Romanian ambassador to the U.S., said that in a few short years, a once seemingly stable world had moved into uncharted territory.
“I do not have a crystal ball,” Geoană said. “We are re-entering something we thought was over with the end of the Cold War. It is a dangerous and competitive world.”
But, Geoană added, the new graduates were primed for success and had much to offer.
“We need your talent. The world needs people like you – great leaders,” he said. “Societal resilience is our first line of defense.”
Aimée Surprenant, dean of the graduate school, noted that the students had made it through challenging times and come out successes.
“I’m in awe,” she said, urging students to “take time to reflect on, and take pride in, all the hard work you put in.”
