THANK YOU!
Thank you for attending Year Up Wilmington’s virtual graduation ceremony!
We hope you enjoyed celebrating this milestone moment with the graduates who made up our Class of Winter 2022 and their families! As we saw, our graduates delivered on Year Up’s mission to close the Opportunity Divide—the gap that exists between many young adults in our community and the economic mainstream.
Missed the event or want to re-watch it?
You can click here to view the recorded livestream at the Year Up Wilmington Facebook page.
The Year Up Wilmington Graduation Ceremony will be a virtual event streamed through Facebook Premiere on the Wilmington Facebook page below.
- The event will start promptly at 6:00 PM ET. We encourage you to open the Wilmington Facebook page 5-10 minutes early. The video will appear on our main Facebook page and you will not need a direct access link.
- If you follow the Wilmington Facebook page, you should receive a notification that we are premiering the event soon.
- You are not required to have a Facebook account to watch the premiere, though you do need to be signed into an account to set a reminder and post comments or reactions.
Graduation Program
Graduate Speaker Welcome
DeAndra Allen,
Year Up Intern at Bank of America
Graduate Reflections
Class of Summer 2021
Host Welcome
Alyssa Bradley
Program Manager, Year Up Wilmington
Virtual Procession
Class of Summer 2021
Keynote Address
Luis Santiago
Vice President, Bank of America
Student Keynote Address
Naama Ramirez
Year Up Intern at Exelon Corporation
Awards Presentation
Peter Lonie
Site Director, Year Up Wilmington
Ryan Batchelor
Year Up Intern at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Congratulatory Remarks
Alyssa Bradley
Program Manager, Year Up Wilmington
Alumni Oath
Cinitae Savage
Year Up Graduate, Class of 2020
Ronda Thompson
Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and
Founding National Director of Alumni Relations, Year Up
Closing Remarks
Alyssa Bradley
Program Manager, Year Up Wilmington
Keynote Speakers
DeAndra Allen
Year Up Intern at
Bank of America
Luis Santiago
Vice President
Bank of America
Naama Ramirez
Year Up Intern at
Exelon Corporation
Remarks from Our Site Director
Congratulations Class of Winter 2022!
One year ago, you were beginning your Year Up journey full of hope and expectations, eager to begin your professional careers. Today, you are graduates! You have built a village of supporters—colleagues, professors, managers, and coaches—a long list of people who will be ever-present as you continue your quest to earn a degree, launch a career, and overcome any challenges life may present.
You and your classmates are graduating during an unprecedented time. You have each faced adversity and remained committed to changing your career trajectory. When faced with challenges -the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, civil unrest, and economic turmoil, you remained steadfast in your efforts. Resilience exemplifies self-awareness, mindfulness, and purpose. In challenging times, you discovered ways to connect to each other and continue to pursue your goals in the virtual environment. You have certainly set the bar high for those to follow, and in doing so, have touched the hearts of everyone here at Year Up Wilmington. You have shown us through hard work, and a positive attitude, it’s possible to achieve anything we strive for in life.
We talk about Year Up as a one-year program, but it isn’t. This is a lifelong partnership. The resources, support, and connections do not end, and your role to lift others as you climb is just beginning. Class of Winter 2022, you are here today because you remained focused, diligent, and eager to learn. You are now part of a movement of thousands of alumni changing the corporate, social, and political landscape. I hope you never doubt the power you possess. You are meant to do great things in this world, and we all remain committed to your success. Congratulations on this milestone, and the many more to come.
With great admiration,
Peter Lonie
Site Director, Year Up Wilmington
Award Winner
Cornerstone Award
Santander Bank
Special thanks & recognition to Ellen L. Rosenberg
Alumni Oath
I PLEDGE that as a member of the Year Up National Alumni Association, I will continue to uphold and promote Year Up’s mission and core values. I will strive for excellence and realize my potential. I will use my time and talents to contribute to the success of Year Up, its students, and its alumni. I will take action in the movement to close the Opportunity Divide. I take this oath freely, as a promise to lift while I climb, and to be a lifelong ambassador of Year Up.
Thank You to Our Local Sponsors
Thank You to our National Sponsors
Thank you to our National Community Partners
Copyright © 2021 Year Up, Inc.