COLUMBUS, Ind. — — Indiana University Columbus honored this year’s graduates at its 2024 commencement celebration ceremony Tuesday at the Circle K Fieldhouse at NexusPark.
2024 commencement speakers included:
- Latha Ramchand, IU Indianapolis Chancellor
- Reinhold Hill, IU Columbus Vice Chancellor and Dean
- Audra McNear, graduating student and Student Government Activities Board President
- Amy Sanford, graduating student and Chancellor’s Scholar
Graduating student Ally Parker sang the national anthem.
“Never stop believing in yourself, never stop chasing your dreams, and never let anyone tell you that your dreams are too big to achieve,” Amy Sanford told her fellow graduates. As the 2024 Chancellor’s Scholar, Sanford is the student with the highest cumulative grade point average of the graduating class. Sandford earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice, a minor in psychology, and certificates in substance abuse counseling and prevention and case management. She is planning to attend law school.
Graduating student Audra McNear, Student Government Activities Board president, said if it took four years or 24 years for students to get here, every step and every challenge led them to this point. “Life doesn’t always unfold according to plan, and success isn’t always linear. It’s more often the moments of struggle and uncertainty that lecture us on resilience, that profess teachings of fortitude, relentlessness and robustness.”
In her keynote address, IU Indianapolis Chancellor Latha Ramchand shared her experience as a first-generation college graduate, pointing out that many of the graduating students are also the first of their families to earn a college degree. Ramchand noted how an education not only prepares students for the future, but it will continue to open doors for them. She told the graduates that no matter where they go in the future, “This institution, your alma mater, will be here cheering you on every step of the way.”
In his closing remarks, IU Columbus Vice Chancellor and Dean Reinhold Hill added, “You have each taken a unique journey to reach this important day. Your journey has truly been one of collaboration, creativity, and commitment. You’ve not only excelled in your academic endeavors but have also embodied our values of learning, scholarship, and service.”
This year’s commencement celebration ceremony honors 200 students, representing 12 undergraduate and three graduate programs. Those honored on Tuesday completed their coursework in December 2023 or are expected to complete their programs in May or August 2024.
