To the Class of 2021,

Congratulations on your monumental achievement! Earning a degree is always worth celebrating, but you should be especially proud of your perseverance and determination during the last year. The impact of COVID-19 on our society was not how any of us expected to be spending your graduation year, however I am thrilled to see your resilience in finishing this step in your collegiate education! With your degree, you are joining ranks with a network of imaginative leaders and innovators, people like you who are making a difference all around the world!

My advice is to stay connected with your alma mater, join your Alumni Association and engage in their events, mentor current students, and give back as you can. I hope during your college experience you were able to engage with at least one alumnus/a who had an impact on your education. Perhaps an alumnus served as a mentor to you and provided an internship in your career field of choice. Perhaps you interviewed an alumna for a course project and got to learn about their life path since they were in your shoes. Alumni make your institution stronger, and you are now joining this large network of graduates who carry on your institutions mission and share their school pride. When you can, please support alumni-owned businesses, and maintain the relationships with your colleagues and faculty/staff members that have made your student experience meaningful. And eventually given the opportunity, please work for and hire fellow alumni from your institution.

At the University of North Texas, we share great pride in our Jostens Official Ring Program. Our students begin earning their class rings during their junior year, and wear it with pride as an upperclassman. During the official ceremony, students participate in the “Eagle Ring Dive” where rings are dipped into the fountains in our campus quad, to be “immersed in the spirit and traditions of the University of North Texas.” At commencement, graduates are asked to turn their rings around with the University of North Texas letters facing outwards, this tradition symbolizes that our graduates are ready to face the world! Our alumni wear their class rings as a symbol for their achievements and experiences at the University of North Texas. I hope that you can continues to wear your class ring and school colors with pride, and showcase your love for your alma mater in whatever direction your life make take you.

With Mean Green Pride,

Daniel Suda, M.S.
Director of Affinity Programming
UNT Office of Alumni Relations
www.untalumni.com