In the midst of a rainy Chicago June, the sun shined on Friday, June 21st for Northwestern University School of Professional Studies’s family and friends as they celebrated the class of 2019. The school’s Convocation ceremony took place at the Chicago Symphony Center and hosted an estimated 1,200 guests who cheered on this year's graduates. During the ceremony, SPS Dean Thomas Gibbons shared his congratulations and encouraged graduates to relish in their accomplishments. 2019 graduate Kristina Flowers (MS, Information Design & Strategy) gave the student address. George Casey (Kellogg '11, SPS '18), a partner at RSM, gave a light but honest keynote address, reminding graduates that they are not and have not been alone when reflecting on some common worries of SPS students who, before starting their degree, hadn’t taken a course in years. After the addresses, students walked across the stage to receive their bachelor’s or master’s degrees and shake Dean Gibbons’s hand. As one graduate took to the stage, “That’s my mom!” was overheard throughout the auditorium. The ceremony closed with one of SPS’s favorite Convocation traditions. Graduates, led by a bagpiper, processed out of the Center to smiles and cheers.
You can view the entire ceremony here and explore the SPS Facebook page for photos.