MALVERN, Pa. — Penn State Great Valley held a commencement ceremony on May 8 to celebrate 468 students who graduated with their master’s degrees this past academic year.
Some graduates and their families and friends traveled from states as far away as California, Florida and Texas, as well as countries such as Bahrain, Brazil, Ghana, India, Nigeria and St. Kitts.
View Great Valley’s Commencement photo album on Flickr.
Penn State Great Valley alumnus Troy A. Beane, founder and CEO of Veteran Executive Leadership, addressed graduates.
“Life moves quickly, and moments like this matter more than we often realize. You set a goal and you achieved it,” he said. “That is discipline. That is perseverance. That is something to be proud of.”
Beane shared insights from his experience at Great Valley, saying, “What I found here was more than education. It was transformation. This institution sharpened how I think, elevated what I expected of myself, and expanded what I believed was possible. The friendships are lasting, the knowledge was practical, and the capabilities were truly transformational.”
Beane closed with a challenge to graduates: “Live in a way that reflects not just your ambition, but your character.”
Students in nine programs received outstanding achievement awards:
- Finance: Anthony M. Maticic Jr.
- Business Administration: Anindita Bandyopadhyay
- Engineering Management: Joshna James
- Information Science: Tyler E. Jensen
- Software Engineering: Santhosh Anitha Boominathan
- Systems Engineering: Cassandra Rossetti
- Data Analytics: Sang-Yong Oh
- Artificial Intelligence: Alexander Davis
- Master of Science, Data Analytics: Muhammad Faizan Raza
Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Colin Neill announced three additional students who won awards that were given previously:
- The Carl E. Bligan Management Award: Nate Laskey
- The Aqua Pennsylvania Award: Sai Sanjna Chintakunta
- The Henrietta Potter Hankin Award: Tanuja Voruganti
MBA graduate Anindita Bandyopadhyay addressed her classmates at the ceremony.
“As we become graduates from Penn State Great Valley, each and every one of us has a renewed sense of freedom — to courageously continue looking inside ourselves, shining the light on our inner calling and running with full honesty toward it,” she said.