Class Council President Previews Virtual CU Commencement, Says Senior Year During Pandemic Was 'Wild To Say The Least'
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) – When asked to describe her senior year at the University of Colorado Boulder, Class Council President Allie Reuter didn't hold back.
"It's been wild to say the least."
Reuter is thrilled to graduate on Thursday after countless hours tackling courses virtually during the pandemic. And, naturally, she connected with CBS4's Mekialaya White via Zoom to share her thoughts on the upcoming commencement.
"I'm all done with my finals," she explained. "I closed my computer and I was just done with college, which was really strange."
During the Spring 2021 commencement, CU Boulder will confer 9,307 undergraduate and graduate degrees. The ceremony will be virtual as well; students can gather with family and friends to celebrate, while tuning in to watch keynote speakers.
"It's almost a more intimate way to celebrate the commencement because people can be with their close family and they can all watch together, rather than being in this huge stadium, maybe next to a bunch of people you've never met before," said Reuter.
There have also been a variety of in-person events leading up to the big day, during Grad Appreciation Days. Reuter says the deliberate effort by the university to have these events has been refreshing.
"I hope that students know that they're seen and heard, and I hope they're feeling like they're being celebrated. CU has really tried to make sure students feel special and I want to make sure that everyone knows there will be opportunities in the future for everyone to come back and have that big celebration with their peers that they feel they're missing out on. We have new traditions that are unique to us and that's something that should be celebrated," Reuter said.
Reuter will also give a speech during the graduation event. She hopes to inspire her fellow classmates as they venture into post-grad life with some advice:
"Be intentional about how you're spending your time because I think it goes by quickly. And I think it's easy to get swooped up, but you need to know what you want your path to look like and what you care most about. If you know that, you can be intentional and make sure time is well spent. Because you never know. We had no idea what was coming (with the pandemic), so hopefully a lot of people made the best use of their time while they still have it."
The festivities begin at 12 p.m., which can be live streamed at colorado.edu/commencement/
