The photos below depict the EMBA South Bend Class of 2020 gathering virtually to celebrate their last day of class with a Champagne toast – the end cap to 22 months of hard work. Joined by family and friends, the group decided to wear their graduation caps, as Robin Kistler said, “to represent the love, solidarity and mutual respect they have for one another and their beloved Notre Dame.”

None of us could have imagined back in January that this semester would end with a virtual ceremony to confer the degrees. Yet as I look at these images, I am once again awed and appreciative of how special our community is. Despite the challenges of these past months, here we see students, faculty and staff celebrating the years of hard work and sacrifice it takes to earn a degree from the University of Notre Dame.

As we wind down our semester, surely we will look back with remembrances of how difficult the sudden transition to online education was, how sad it was to have a campus without students, and how scary and uncertain ordinary life became. I hope you will also remember how we came together as a beautiful community to serve our students and each other, where these pictures can help us celebrate with our students their achievements that you have made possible, accomplished in the way that matters most – as a strong community.

Good luck to all with exams and grading.