Anglo-American University in Prague Con-GRAD-ulations 2021: You did it!
Firstly, we are so proud of all our graduates- well done, classes of 2020/2021 and 2019/2020, you did it! We are glad that despite COVID-19 you were able to participate both online and in-person. Due to the nature of the pandemic, these events have been extra special as those who were unable to graduate last year were invited back to enjoy a joint ceremony with this years’ graduating class. For AAU, these graduations are not only significant in that they were able to happen but also, that they conclude President Müllers time with us. As there was no ceremony last year, this year is truly wonderful- thank you President Müller for getting through four graduations with us! After a whole week of events, it’s time for a #throwback and a photobomb.
Monday:
The first of our hybrid ceremonies, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences ceremony was opened with touching remarks from Lecturer, Anthony Marais about the nature of our smaller graduation ceremonies:
“We are here to celebrate your accomplishments, accomplishments made even more special considering the adversaries we have faced this year..it has required a lot from us.”
Following such, Elizabeth Jean Miezejeski took us back to the beginning of our collective university experiences, what they meant to us, and mean to us now, and how they changed and developed our characters:
“maybe we don’t know who we are right now, but who else here knows that they sure aren’t the same person that walked into orientation.”
If you missed the event you can still watch it on our YouTube channel and have a look through our official photo albums at the links below:
Tuesday:
As the biggest graduation, School of Business Administration, Chapman MBA Program, and the John H. Carey School of Law filled every seat in the courtyard. Following the President’s opening remarks, Jan Vašenda delivered a commencement address that had us all laughing with his upbeat words (making us forget the dizzying heat) while class of 2020/2021 Valedictorian, Lukas Pivarník shared sentiments towards his Alma Mater.
“AAU provided us, all of us with a different experience although I believe we have something shared… we have all learned something, we have all found our passion – or what our passion definitely isn’t- and lifelong friends.”
If you missed the event you can still watch it on our YouTube channel and have a look through our official photo albums at the links below:
Wednesday:
With commencement words from Alexei Anisin, the School of International Relations and Diplomacy started in congratulating our graduates on their efforts and unshakeable wills in getting through a difficult year! This continued with sentiments from President Müller on the distancing nature of the pandemic:
“the pandemic has made all personal contact virtually impossible… you are graduating at a time that has been unlike anything we have known in the past.”
Rather fittingly for the occasion, graduate Lindsay Salvati gave a heartfelt performance of “The Climb” truly encapsulating the experience this past year has given us all.
If you missed the event you can still watch it on our YouTube channel and have a look through our official photo albums at the links below:
Thursday:
In the closing ceremony for the School of Journalism, Media and Visual Arts, Anthony Marais once again featured as ‘Master of Ceremonies’ alongside Dean, Tony Ozuna. They both shared in, and reiterated, the extraordinary accomplishments this graduating class has achieved in the face of a global pandemic. However, completely stealing the show with his inspiring speech was graduate Ify Divine Nsoha who left us with these words:
“ You have to look at life believing in what could be; are there obstacles? Yes. Do we often fail? Definitely. We fall down, as one wise man said, so we can learn to pick ourselves back up …and that takes faith. It took faith for us to get here today- so don’t give up on tomorrow.”
If you missed the event you can still watch it on our YouTube channel and have a look through our official photo albums at the links below:
A huge thank you to our Graduation Task Force and all those who made this very special AAU Graduation Week possible.
