Congratulations Class of 2020

Today, May 17, 2020, was supposed to be the graduation ceremony for the UConn Law School Class of 2020. This year, almost all schools canceled their in-person graduation ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was an unprecedented move under unprecedented circumstances. I don't think any other class in the recent past graduated under anything even close to what the entire world is going through today. Our class is special, not just for our achievement for completing our respective degrees successfully, but also for graduating under unprecedented situations. Also, our class is the first graduating class that was part of a worldwide experiment of online learning, we shifted to that platform after short notice, within a week or so, this is indeed a remarkable feat to achieve. Kudos to all the universities, teachers, and their support staff for doing this with minimum technical glitches.

None of us imagined graduating like this when we started our respective journeys but here we are, in the middle of a pandemic where uncertainties are staring at us from every quarter of our lives. Our class knows from first-hand experience that this world needs independent thinkers, leaders who are willing to tackle any challenge, and teams who are willing to navigate through situations for which there is no past precedence. We have seen it all in the last few weeks. None of this was a part of our curriculum, but we learned it anyway and this will be one of our strengths going forward. Please remember the lessons you learned while dealing with your struggles and frustrations during the last few weeks, they are unique to us, they not only distinguish us but also make us special.

It really sucks not to be able to celebrate this marvelous achievement with our friends, family, teachers, and loved ones. It sucks not to be with each other at this important juncture and recognize people who helped us and contributed immensely towards making this possible. It also sucks not to be able to party today as we usually do. However, the lack of formal celebrations does not diminish the importance of this occasion even a bit. This moment remains as special as it was supposed to be. This moment remains as festive as it was supposed to be. This movement remains as colorful and magical as it was supposed to be because it's not the style of celebration that makes it special, it's we and our loved ones who make it special. Therefore, do not forget to celebrate it with your loved ones. This is also unique to our class, not only the social environment in which we are graduating is special even our celebrations are also going to be unique and special.

Let's raise a toast for our class and fellow graduates. We all did it and crossed the finish line successfully. Each one of us embarked on this journey with a lot of hope and expectations, we all are going to continue our journey to chase our own dreams and celebrate many more milestones. So, enjoy this moment, take a break, cherish those lovely memories that made this journey an incredible experience, and yes, do not forget to thank each and every person who made this possible, doesn't matter how you do it, call them, facetime them, video chat with them, text them, just get in touch and say thank you. Congratulations Class of 2020.

Thanks for reading.