MSSM Classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 Celebrate at Summer Diploma Ceremony
MSSM students and alumni gathered to celebrate at the first in-person diploma ceremony in nearly two years.
By Jess Ignasky
On Saturday, August 14, the Master of Science in Software Management program of the Integrated Innovation Institute held its Summer Diploma Ceremony.
MSSM alumni from the classes of 2020 and 2021 returned to celebrate in person and the class of 2022 was honored prior to their official graduation this coming December.
The ceremony kicked off with a procession led by a bagpiper representing the Carnegie Mellon University community. Program Director Gladys Mercier greeted the crowd from the podium and professors Sheryl Root, Uday Dandavate, Dr. Stuart Evans, and Ravi Thomas were seated on stage to cheer on the students and alumni.
“It has been an extraordinary few years and you have undertaken an enormous task by completing a challenging master’s degree under pandemic conditions,” said Mercier. “We’re proud of you, and you should feel proud!”
After the introduction, Maxim Alt (MSSM ‘07) was honored with the Return on Education Award. This award was created in 2009 to recognize alumni who have been successful in applying their education to their professional lives and inspire other students to do the same.
Maxim took the podium and spoke to students about his professional journey with honesty, sharing the ups and downs of his career so far. From working at Intel to going off on his own to create his own startup, Alt inspired students with his words of wisdom.
“You have it in you. Looking back, Carnegie Mellon University gave me confidence. I knew I could be a beginner and still do it. CMU gave me the foundation I needed and connected me with amazing people.”
After the Return on Education speech, two MSSM students were recognized for their efforts in the program. The first recognition was an award voted on by faculty that represented the student who was a great student and ambassador for the MSSM program. This award was given to Devang Gaur.
Sheryl Root announced the award, stating “This individual leaves no one behind. This is the kind of person who would say ‘That’s a good idea, let’s discuss it more’ as opposed to saying ‘My idea is better.’ They were great at asking questions instead of telling and helping their teams by listening to others.”
The next recognition was for the MSSM student speaker. This recognition honored a student who the class of 2022 believed best represented their cohort and served as an inspiration for the class. Shivani Jakhmola was selected by her peers to speak at the ceremony.
“I have learned so much from our class experiences. Those late nights we spent together working out the best marketing plans, creating proper documentation in the right format, trying to become the product managers, the designers, the developers of the future. While we were studying, we were also making friendships to last a lifetime,” Jakhmola shared.
“Something I realized while going through the MSSM program was that beyond my skills, beyond my experiences, there was something bigger. It was finding your own superpower, playing on your strengths."
"My question to you: what will you do with your degree? Will you help your family and friends find their superpowers? Will you help your colleagues push beyond their constraints just like all of you did? Will you every single day think of and feel what empowers you and what you bring to the table? All I can say is that I believe you can!”
After receiving diplomas, students were welcomed as alumni by Alumni Relations Manager, Mary Kilcoyne.
“It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the Tartan family! You’re a lifelong Tartan now. It’s just the start of your journey. You’re among many great, elite alumni and I am happy to support you.”
Congratulations to the MSSM classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022! We wish you much success in your future endeavors and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!
Watch the Summer Diploma Ceremony
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Photos © Orange Photography