Holiday gifts came a little early for graduating College of Business Administration students from the University of Pittsburgh.
In the graduate recognition ceremony held Friday, December 16, 2022, at the Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, nearly 100 Pitt Business graduates were individually recognized in front of family and friends. They were welcomed by Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean Gene Anderson, Interim Associate Dean Lawrence Feick, and alumni speaker Kevin Murray, a 2016 graduate and director of program management at Amazon’s heavy-bulky delivery service.
Murray, who is also a U.S. Army veteran, told students seven lessons he has learned since beginning his career. These gifts of guidance touched on networking, learning from mistakes, and leveraging the Pitt Business degree as an asset.
The Power of Grit and Perseverance
One of those lessons touched on grit and perseverance. After multiple tries to enroll in the Army, Murray was allowed to attend basic training before his sophomore year at Pitt. “It took that grit and determination, coupled with my passion and long-term goal to serve this country’s military, to achieve all that I have achieved so far.” Murray, whose wife Audrey is also a Pitt Business graduate and attended the ceremony, encouraged students to find their grit and apply it to their passion.
Dean Anderson reminded students, “It’s been said that higher education is a ‘Gathering of Gifts.’ We are grateful for the gifts of time, talent, and experience you’ve shared during your time with us. You are leaving our community even richer and stronger than you found it.”
Feick added: “Today marks the end of that journey for you. You have worked really hard and overcome many obstacles to get here. Although it is true that I say that every year, but boy, is it ever true for your class!”
Dean Anderson closed the ceremony with this takeaway for new graduates, “I don’t have a crystal ball to foresee your futures, but I do know that the college and Pitt have equipped you to thrive in this ever-changing world.”
See the Ceremony and Graduates’ Names
The video recording of the ceremony is available on YouTube, and the names of all the graduates are listed here in the commencement program. They were all encouraged to also participate in the Pitt Business commencement in April 2023, at PPG Paints Arena.
