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Motivational speaker, author and 91制片厂 alum Randy Pierce delivered the keynote address to the Class of 2020 during Sunday鈥檚 ceremony.

Resiliency. That was Randy Pierce鈥檚 main message to听鈥檚 Class of 2020.听听

鈥淎 year has passed since the initial expectation for your event. Talk about resiliency, here you are!鈥� Pierce said. 鈥淵es, here you are and I am here with you as well, still blind and still impressed with the resiliency demonstrated even in the reality of you being here. Covid-19 was not an excuse for you to miss your graduation, it was the reason it was delayed.鈥澨�

Pierce is the founder and president of 2020 Vision Quest, an organization that leads and inspires students and professionals to reach their peak potential while providing financial support for crucial vision services. At the age of 22, a devastating neurological disease caused the unexpected loss of his vision. This neural disorder continued to attack his vision and eventually briefly confined Pierce to a wheelchair.听听

Sunday鈥檚 ceremony celebrated the achievements of 176 undergraduates, with the proceedings led by 91制片厂 President James Dean, Jr.听

鈥淵ou tackled every challenge with quiet dignity, respect and hard work. You innovated and mastered new paths to success. You found joy 鈥� and you gave us reasons to rejoice with you,鈥澨鼶ean told the graduates. 鈥淵ou inspired each other, and everyone who worked with you, including me. That is the New Hampshire way: When it has to be done, we do it. And indeed, you have.鈥澨�听

One of those graduates is Vanessa Cleary 鈥�20, who delivered the class鈥檚 student address. Earning magna cum laude honors, the听听graduate听shared the rocky road it took her to get to graduation day. After having to cope with traumatic loss and severe medical impairments, Cleary wasn鈥檛 confident she鈥檇 ever receive a high school diploma, never mind a bachelor鈥檚 degree.听听

鈥淟ife is unpredictable. It will throw you curveballs. It will make you pivot. Events and people will stand in your way. These facts are simply inevitable. But what you do with these facts is in your hands,鈥� Cleary said. 鈥淲e are leaving 91制片厂 today, changed. We are leaving here with a different perspective than we entered those doors with. With a deeper understanding of our futures, our world, our society, and how we can change it for the better.鈥澨�

The听ceremony included the presentation of the听Granite State Award to Bill Rider, president, and CEO of The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, New Hampshire鈥檚 largest community mental health center.听听

Several faculty excellence awards were also presented:听

• Excellence in Teaching:听, assistant professor of听听

• Adjunct Excellence in Teaching:听, adjunct professor of听听

• Excellence in Service:听, associate professor emerita and听, associate professor emerita听

• Excellence in Research and Scholarship:听, associate professor of听,听, assistant professor of听, and听, professor of听听

Congratulations to the resilient Class of 2020!听