Shenandoah University To Celebrate 1,337 Graduates At May 21 Commencement
SU to honor Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as symbol of the defense of freedom and democracy
Shenandoah University will celebrate 1,337 graduates at its 2022 spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 21, inside the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics and Events Center.
The 2022 University Commencement will recognize 237 August 2021 graduates, 348 December 2021 graduates, and 752 candidates for May degree conferrals. The ceremony begins promptly at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live on Zoom at su.edu/commencementwebcast2022 and on Shenandoah University’s Facebook page.
Shenandoah is not requiring that attendees wear masks, nor are they required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The university asks that all who are planning to attend take personal responsibility for their own health and the well-being of others. Anyone showing signs or symptoms of COVID-19 should not attend the commencement ceremony.
During the commencement ceremony, Shenandoah will award Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with an honorary Doctor of Law degree. Shenandoah University is one of over 20 American colleges and universities jointly offering honorary degrees this spring to Zelenskyy and in honor of the Ukrainian people.
Each of those participating institutions believes that the initiative is warranted based on President Zelenskyy’s ability to motivate the collective courage of his own citizens and the broader world in defense of freedom and democracy; the unprovoked aggression on Ukraine set in motion by the autocratic leader of Russia; and the significance of the threats posed by Russian aggression to civil liberties throughout the world. Shenandoah and its fellow participating institutions also believe it is the critical responsibility of colleges and universities to promote the tenets of a liberal society such as the unalienable rights of individuals to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Zelenskyy was sworn in as the sixth president of Ukraine on May 20, 2019. A former actor, comedian, and award-winning television and film producer, Zelenskyy stepped onto the political stage as an anti-corruption figure at the beginning of 2019, and was elected president in a landslide victory in April of that year.
Since that time, Zelenskyy has guided Ukraine through the dissolution of Ukraine’s Supreme Council (Verkhovna Rada), the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting global economic recession, and the ongoing, full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
Zelenskyy became the face of Ukrainian resistance during the Russian invasion, and his leadership during the conflict has garnered international acclaim.
For more information about Shenandoah University’s 2022 Commencement, visit su.edu/commencement.
