After months of uncertainty due to changing coronavirus restrictions, we were able to gather to honor graduating MAAIS students with an evening boat cruise at the end of July. It was particularly significant for the members of the Class of 2021 who spent the entirety of their graduate school experience online. For many, the evening marked the first time they were able to meet their classmates and instructors face-to-face.
Members of the Class of 2020, who started the program in person but then shifted to virtual instruction when the pandemic hit, were also invited to join. We were unable to commemorate their graduation the summer before other than with a Zoom event. For all who attended – instructors, Civic Council members, graduates and their family and friends – it was a reminder of how special it is to gather together to acknowledge the students’ hard work and toast the successful completion of the year. Congratulations to all those who graduated in 2020 and 2021. Your resilience and determination under extremely challenging circumstances was truly remarkable.