INI Diploma Ceremony 2023 Celebrates Resilience and Achievements of Newest Graduates

On May 14, 2023, the INI held its annual diploma ceremony, a time-honored tradition that brings together graduates and their families from around the world to celebrate their hard-earned master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Friends, family and supporters gathered at Rodef Shalom to cheer on 185 of the 271 members of the record-breaking class of 2023.

In her annual address to the graduates, INI Director and Barbara Lazarus Professor in Information Networking, Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis, referenced the dedication and hard work demonstrated by the students who now join a community of over 2,700 INI alumni. Haritos Tsamitis also acknowledged the ever-changing global landscape that our graduates are entering: “You are entering into a different world than the one you encountered when you started the pursuit of your master’s degree.  The pandemic and its aftermath have left many industries struggling and competition for positions may be fierce.”

However, despite these challenges, Haritos Tsmaitits encouraged the graduates, “You have persevered through difficult challenges, tackled complex problems, and expanded your mindset, knowledge and expertise.”

“These experiences have taught you to be steadfast, agile and adaptable. You have learned to be resilient, and this will serve you well in any career path you choose.”

Haritos Tsamitis encouraged the graduates to remain adaptable and resilient in the rapidly changing job market. “I encourage you to keep your focus on the big picture,” she said, “embrace every opportunity, stay curious and never stop learning.”

She went on to reinforce that this is just the beginning, “Your INI journey does not end here. It is just beginning. I can’t wait to feel the impact you have on the world.” Haritos Tsamitis then introduced the commencement keynote speaker, Rohyt Belani, Chairman and CEO of the email security company COFENSE Inc which serves nearly half of the Fortune 100 and nearly 400 Fortune 1000 companies.

Belani is a member of the 2002 INI graduating class and was recently nominated to Carnegie Mellon University’s 2023 class of the Tartans on the Rise, a prestigious honor celebrating recent alumni who are making an impact in their organizations and communities.

As he started his speech, Belani shared an insight with the graduates, “I do have some good news and some bad news before I go there though. The good news is that you have no more tests, no more grades, you’re done with that. The not so good news is that life is one heck of a long exam and there isn’t an answer key.”

He went on to share his experience and challenges during his time at the INI and reminded the graduates about the many skills they’ve gained, “Let’s take a moment to reflect on your experiences here. Academics aside, you know the real world is tough. But I’ll tell you, you guys are tough too. You’ve been in this resiliency gym here, called Carnegie Mellon and the INI. You’ve been working out that tenacity muscle for a bit here. You’ve built confidence. And it goes without saying, you’ve amassed technical skills most people can only dream of having.”

At the conclusion of his speech, Belani gave one last encouraging word about the future.

“So, as you enter this next phase of your life, just make the most of this head start you have. Make Carnegie Mellon proud, make the INI proud, make your families proud, and I’d say most importantly, make yourselves proud.”