Colorado State University to celebrate the Class of 2021 May 14

Contact for reporters:
Jennifer Dimas
(970) 988-4265
jennifer.dimas@colostate.edu

The remarkable resilience of Colorado State University’s Spring and Summer 2021 graduates is awe-inspiring. The many achievements of this year’s Ram graduates were celebrated in person during the ceremonial walk across CSU’s historic Oval in April, and now a virtual commencement ceremony is set to honor the 4,600-plus students who have navigated the challenges of 2020 and 2021 to earn degrees.

CSU will celebrate those Rams who have completed work on undergraduate and graduate degrees in the spring and summer semesters:

  • Undergraduates: 3,452, with 446 candidates for distinction (61 summa cum laude, 131 magna cum laude and 254 cum laude)
  • Graduate students: 1,064, including 80 Ph.D. students
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine: 147

In addition, 17 Air Force ROTC cadets and 11 Army cadets will become commissioned officers.

CSU’s virtual experience begins at 10 a.m. Friday, May 14. Virtual celebrations will be held on the CSU Commencement website and each college’s celebration will include a conferral from CSU President Joyce McConnell, congratulatory messages from leadership, deans and student and student speakers. Each 2021 declared graduate – spring and summer – will be showcased with a personalized slide.

“We are so deeply proud of our graduating Rams and congratulate them, their families and loved ones,” said CSU Provost and Executive Vice President Mary Pedersen. “A degree is life-changing in both the journey it takes to achieve and in the path it creates for one’s future. These amazing Rams earned the title of college graduate while navigating the additional unexpected challenges of being a student amid a pandemic, an unprecedented world event in our lifetime. What they have accomplished and what they have overcome to achieve success must forever serve as an affirmation to them of their character, intellect and perseverance.”

Commencement speaker Kareem Rosser

College of Liberal Arts alumnus Kareem Rosser (B.S. economics, ’16) will serve as the Spring 2021 Commencement Speaker at each of the college’s virtual commencement ceremonies. While at CSU, he led the polo team to a national championship and was honored as the intercollegiate polo player of the year. After graduation, Rosser began working as a financial analyst at an asset management firm.

He also serves as the executive director of a nonprofit fundraising arm called Friends of Work to Ride. Kareem was recognized as CSU’s Distinguished Graduate of the Last Decade in 2019, and recently published his first book, Crossing the Line, a memoir of his life to date.

Rosser was featured in Colorado State Magazine in 2020:  Pony up: Polo star models a different path in the sport of kings.

Ceremonial Oval Walk

In addition to the upcoming virtual celebrations, CSU hosted an in-person, ceremonial walk across the historic Oval in April, a CSU tradition that dates back over 100 years, to honor 2021 graduates. The ceremonies were live-streamed online for friends and families who were asked not to attend due to Larimer County’s ongoing physical distancing restrictions. The recordings are now available on the CSU Commencement page.

Several ways to celebrate

CSU’s commencement website highlights the many ways Spring and Summer 2021 graduates can celebrate their momentous achievement as a Ram. Graduates will have access to the digital party pack, view the digital 2021 Commencement program, and share Ram Grad celebrations on social media, #CSURamGrad2021.

To view all of these, plus additional details, visit the Commencement website.

Outstanding graduates

Amidst all of the challenges and uncertainties, the Class of 2021 has persevered to earn their degrees at Colorado State University. Here are just a few of the stories of some of the outstanding students who are graduating this spring, CSU Outstanding Grads: Spring 2021.