Alumnus Brandon Hasbrouck, ’08, delivered the Virtual Commencement Address on May 17, 2020, and received an honorary degree. Hasbrouck is an Assistant Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.
The Dominican College Class of 2020 was honored during a Virtual Commencement on Sunday, May 17, 2020. The Commencement premiered on the Dominican College website and Facebook at 12 noon, with graduates, family, friends, administrators, and faculty remotely watching “together” as they reacted and commented on social media.
Alumnus Brandon Hasbrouck, ’08, Assistant Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, VA, delivered an impassioned Commencement Address to the graduates. He challenged the graduates to “do justice” in whatever career path they choose. “A kind of justice that smashes hierarchies, privileges, and entitlement. A kind of justice that requires courage – courage demonstrated by you throughout your time here at Dominican College – that even when you take a loss, and you will, you get up every single time and persist,” he said. “There is no path to justice that is only comfortable and convenient. We will not achieve or create justice until we’re willing to sometimes position ourselves in uncomfortable places and be a witness. Justice is hard work. It is unending work. It is our life’s work. You are all ready!”
Dominican College awarded Hasbrouck with the honorary degree of Doctor of Law, in recognition of his accomplishments in the practice of law and of his dedication to criminal justice reform.
More than 560 students received degrees during the Virtual Commencement – 101 doctorate degrees, 130 master’s degrees, 328 bachelor’s degrees and four associate’s degrees. The Commencement was held virtually because of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent stay-at-home orders. Dominican College will be holding in-person graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020 on campus, when it is safe to do so.
You can watch the entire Dominican College 2020 Virtual Commencement here.