OSU-Tulsa Celebrates Students During Virtual Graduation

Sunday's virtual graduation might not have been what these seniors would have imagined at the start of the year, but OSU-Tulsa President Pamela Fry said these students deserve to be commended for their hard work during hard times.

"The one word I would say about our students is that they're ‘resilient,’ and they really stuck with it and the graduation ceremony today is really celebrating their success in doing so," Fry said.

The goal of Sunday’s unique fall graduation was to make the ceremony as personal and meaningful as possible. Graduates heard their names called while their pictures were shown on screen.

Tulsa mayor and OSU-Tulsa alumnus G.T. Bynum gave the opening address, saying he's proud of the student's resolve during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 "OSU-Tulsa has always been on the cutting edge of leadership and thinking about how we can do things better in this community," Bynum said. 

Alec Puckett is one of OSU's Seniors of Significance, which means he is in the top one percent of students across all of OSU's campuses.

Even though it was not the senior year he wanted, Puckett said he’s not going to let it take away from the fact that he not only graduated, but he's also the first on his dad's side of the family to earn a degree.

"Yeah, I mean, it's a bummer at first, but as I said, you just got to stay positive and keep a positive mindset,” Puckett said. “Everything really happens for a reason.”

If you'd like to watch a replay of the graduation's live stream, click here.