The Jackson Institute for Global Affairs celebrated its graduates today with a diploma ceremony and lunch at Horchow Hall. The Institute awarded 24 M.A. degrees and two M.A.S. degrees in Global Affairs.

Jackson graduate students started the day with a 10:30 a.m. ceremony at Yale’s Old Campus, where the University symbolically conferred degrees on all undergraduate and graduate students from the Class of 2019. Jackson student Virginia Leape M.A. ’19 served as marshal and accepted the symbolic diploma for M.A. graduates.

Beginning at 12:30 p.m., the Jackson Diploma Ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from Professor Lloyd Grieger, Jackson’s director of graduate studies.

Grieger exhorted graduates to constantly reflect and re-evaluate their aspirations, talents, and the needs of the world during the course of their careers, and to make good choices.

“We all know that there is no shortage of need for courageous leadership in the world – the times we are living in are complicated and tough. Indeed, they always have been and in this dynamic world in which we live, they are likely to remain so,” Grieger said.

“Celebrate your successes and failures as valuable lessons—because you will experience both. Continue to be courageous. Have as much faith in yourselves as all of us do in you. Grow your networks, but don’t forget to protect the ones you’ve already cultivated,” he said.

The ceremony also included remarks from Jasmine Park M.A. ’19, who was selected by her classmates as speaker.

Park emphasized the broad diversity of her cohort and the close-knit relationships that developed over the last two years at Jackson. She described her classmates as a group of people “driven by a sense of purpose to give back, to make the world a better place.”

“As we embark upon the next chapter of our lives, whether we’re joining the foreign service in Thailand or working with a startup in Alabama, we will no doubt face challenges. At times, we may question our calling, our contributions, our competence,” Park said.

“I hope in those moments, we will remember the friendships we forged on this journey at Jackson together, that we will know we are not alone, that there are people who believe in our intentions and capabilities,” she said.

Two students received awards for outstanding academic achievement. Sophie Broach M.A. ’19 received the Award for Academic Excellence in Global Affairs. Mike Chieco M.A. ’19, MBA ’19 received the Miguel Ferreyros Memorial Award, which is awarded to the joint-degree student in Global Affairs with the highest academic achievement.

Jackson’s director, Professor James Levinsohn, closed the ceremony. The day wrapped up with an outdoor luncheon with Jackson graduates and their families.

Jackson also congratulates its Class of 2019 undergraduate Global Affairs majors, who received their diplomas in separate ceremonies at Yale’s 14 residential colleges.