663 New Graduates Awarded HGSE Degrees

A sea of crimson and black filled Radcliffe Yard today as 663 students received their degrees from the Ed School.  Of the 663 graduating students, 53 earned doctorates, 591 earned their master’s degrees, and 19 received certificates in advanced studies of education.

Earlier in the day, HGSE graduates gathered in Tercentenary Theater in Harvard Yard for the annual morning Commencement ceremony, where their degrees were officially conferred. Directly following the ceremony in Harvard Yard, the graduates proceeded to Radcliffe Yard to receive their diplomas from the Ed School.

Upon arrival, students shuffled under the white tents where many took pictures of one another while they eagerly awaited their diplomas.

Dean Kathleen McCartney introduced the Class of 2007 and reconferred their degrees upon the start of the ceremony, as she commented that they were all screaming so loudly in the Yard that some may not have heard.

Taking as inspiration the tradition of Ed School graduates carrying children’s books (that are later donated) during morning Commencement exercises, McCartney referenced one of her own favorite books from childhood, The Wizard of Oz, and more specifically, the musical Wicked. When listening to the musical’s soundtrack, she was moved to tears by the song, “Defying Gravity.” Quoting from the song lyrics, McCartney urged students to do something important that they believe in.

“I want you all to leave [HGSE] believing that you can defy gravity,” she said. For some, it will be working one on one with a child, for others it may be designing new preschools, starting nonprofit organizations, or conducting research that will influence education policy, and some “will fly in ways the faculty can’t imagine,” she said.

She encouraged the graduates to always be learners and be open to the lessons people have to teach you. McCartney told them that there will be hard times professionally but she reminded students that they can always return home like Dorothy throughout their careers. “If you come here, we’ll remind you that you can defy gravity,” she said. “Graduates, I have only one question, are you ready to defy gravity?”

• Read the full text of Dean McCartney's commencement address.

Students cheered loudly in response, letting McCartney know that they were definitely ready. Many students received their diplomas with their newborns and young children in tow.

“If you’ve ever been a teacher, then you know how hard it is to say goodbye to students,” McCartney said in closing, but she noted that she can let go “fully knowing you are going on to do good work.”

Upon completion of the ceremony, many graduates shared moments with family and loved ones as they posed for pictures with their diplomas.

Melissa Steele King, Ed.D.’07, has spent six years on the HGSE campus. “I think it hasn’t quite sunk in yet, [but] it feels good,” King said shortly after receiving her doctorate. “In the beginning, it was hard to believe that you can go through and finish but it’s a transformation of identity to come out a researcher and an expert in the field.”