Southwestern Michigan College has sent a new class of graduates off into the world with its first ever virtual commencement. SMC President Joe Odenwald tells us because of COVID-19, a normal graduation couldn’t be held this year. So, a video production company was hired to record a ceremony with the dignity of a traditional event. Odenwald says it was a success.
“There was a big effort from our staff to be creative and come up with this commencement ceremony, but I would be remiss as the president of this college not to credit the faculty and staff, folks that I think are Michigan’s finest faculty and staff. I wouldn’t want to build any other team.”
The video of SMC’s commencement went live on Saturday. Odenwald told the graduates, “Resilience is in the DNA of Southwestern Michigan College.” He notes this is the first long-distance commencement in SMC’s 53 years of graduations, as well as his first commencement as president of SMC. He calls it a “heck of a start.”
