College Graduates Meet For The First Time At Graduation

The 2010 graduating class at Charter Oak State College includes a 16-year old girl from VietNam and an 80-year old woman from Enfield, Connecticut. Students build online communities, says Provost Shirley Adams, and it’s a thrill when they’re able to see their colleagues, teachers and staff.

 

"They’ll come to graduation and they’ll go, 'Oh. So that’s Linda' or 'Oh, so that’s Doris'.  They’ve been communicating for, in some cases, two, four, five, ten years or whatever, and it’s the first time that they actually meet them face to face."

 

There are more than 450 graduates this year. But only about 150 will be able to attend commencement in person. So Adams says the school webcasts the event.

 

"And I always envision them as we call their name walking across their living room floor in their cap and gown. And then when we say, 'You can move the tassle'.  I can just visualize them moving the tassle."

 

Nearly 60% of the graduates are from CT. Others hail from 35 states and 12 countries. Charter Oak is the state’s only public online college.   

For WNPR, I'm Diane Orson.