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Because of the pandemic and geographical distance, Samuel Thomas hadn’t seen his daughter face-to-face in nearly two years. But he wasn’t going to miss her graduation from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University.
Thomas traveled four and a half hours by plane from St. Vincent and the Grenadines island chain in the Caribbean to see daughter Zoe Thomas OD ‘21, receive her degree.
Dr. Thomas was the final graduate to walk across the temporary stage in the half-circle in front of the Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus parking lot that was erected solely for the purpose of the University’s first-ever drive-thru graduate recognition ceremony.
“I’m very excited to know that my daughter has completed her task and has become a doctor. I know she’s very committed to her profession and I’m happy for her,” said Samuel Thomas.
Dr. Thomas was happy to be surrounded by her parents, brother and sister for the celebration and believed the drive-thru ceremony was a good option given the circumstances surrounding the pandemic.
“At least we have our family here and we can still walk the stage. But the thing that is important and what matters is what we get to experience today,” she said.
The 122nd commencement ceremony was unique in that it offered both a virtual and an in-person option for the graduates and their families. While the spring and fall 2020 commencement ceremonies were virtual only because of pandemic safety rules, the University tried to make the commencement experience as special and inclusive as it could while being planned.
Much like a traditional commencement ceremony at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts complete with full regalia, graduates were introduced by James M. Caldwell, OD ‘89, Resident ‘91, EdD, dean of Student Affairs, received their diploma from Salus president Michael Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, greeted provost Barry Eckert, PhD, and the deans of their respective Colleges — PCO dean Melissa Trego, OD ‘04, PhD; Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) dean Radhika Aravamudhan, PhD; and James Konopack, PhD, dean of the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER).
“It was a unique event this year, with the modifications we made in order to make it a personalized drive-up ceremony,” said Dr. Konopack, who was participating in a Salus commencement in-person for the first time since being named CHER dean in September 2020.
Dr. Konopack added that commencement ceremonies are special no matter what the circumstances and that it’s a memorable moment in the lives of every graduate.
“No one comes across the stage without a big smile on their face. It was great that we also got to see the families up close and witness those wonderful emotions on display.”
To keep the ceremony moving, families and friends were asked to stay in their vehicles while their graduates crossed the stage, where they were able to take pictures, honk their horns and support the accomplishment. While the graduates would normally be seated in the first several rows in a traditional ceremony at the Kimmel Center, the drive-thru option allowed the families to get much closer and be only 15-20 feet from the stage for their photos.
That option made many of the graduates and parents happy.
“We were thrilled the University did something for the students like this because it’s nice to have something in person, something for which we have a memory,” said Eileen Jaskuta, whose daughter, Speech-Language Pathologist Hannah Jaskuta, MS ‘21, received her degree. “I really wanted to have some sort of normalcy to tradition, so I was happy we were able to do this,” said Hannah Jaskuta.
Gary Curran rented a van, decorated it and filled it with family members to make the trek from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania to see his daughter Sydnee Curran, MS ‘21, graduate from the University’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program.
“It was very cool, quick and easy,” said Gary Curran. “The best commencement ever, we were in and out. And, we’re super proud of Sydnee. She’s worked so hard, dealing with everything that’s happened over the past year.”
PCO Class of 2021 president Mohit Batra, OD ‘21, said that after four challenging years of optometry school, it was surreal for him being on campus and participating in the graduate recognition ceremony.
“It’s kind of weird graduating in this fashion, but I still appreciate it. My colleagues are here today, my professors are here today and the dean of the college is here today. The weather is great and the vibes are nice. I’m happy,” said Dr. Batra.
The drive-thru portion took two days to complete. OCA and CHER graduates walked the first day, May 25, and PCO graduates walked the second day, May 26. The virtual ceremony premiered online May 27.
But the excitement was evident from the beginning of the week’s events.
Arantxa Rosario, AuD ‘21, lives just a few minutes from the Elkins Park campus, and was the first car in line for the start of the drive-thru festivities.
“I had a lot of doubts about participating in the ceremony. But once we got vaccinated, I felt a lot better,” said Rosario, who was driven to the ceremony by her fiancee, Alex Werner, OD ‘19. The couple have a 2023 wedding planned.
“I wanted this moment because it’s an important day. Just making it to the end, being able to graduate and take this little walk is really exciting,” she said.
