Ithaca College alumna tells graduating class to see gifts in their pandemic experiences

ITHACA, N.Y. — An Emmy-nominated television creator and producer told about 1,300 Ithaca College graduates that the “beauty in life comes in the questions and the unknowns, and to relish being in a moment where there is so much to discover.”

Liz Tigelaar, a 1998 Ithaca College graduate, was the main speaker at the college’s 126th commencement ceremonies held Sunday. She was most recently the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the Hulu series “Little Fires Everywhere.”

Tigelaar used her address to reflect on the pandemic and all that the students had been through, which can make them stronger for it.

“You’ve lived through a global pandemic, classes on Zoom, and now a graduation your parents can’t attend,” said Tigelaar. “In many ways, you were robbed. That is true. But in what was stolen, something was left. A gift… And that’s what life is going to bring you. Losses that are gifts. You have to be resilient. Yes, grieve the loss, but find the gift.”

She urged graduates not to rush through life to get to the answers, because it is the moments between all the answers that will shape and reshape who they are.

“You now know that what you take for granted, you can lose. You now know that what you hold most dear can be taken from you without warning,” said Tigelaar. “You now know how good it feels to not be behind a screen. So don’t just take a picture on your phone today. Take it in your mind.  Enjoy today.”

In keeping with current state guidelines, Ithaca College held two identical ceremonies for the graduates, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They included a hybrid of in-person and virtual components so that every student who wished to participate could do so. No guests could attend in person, but families were able to watch — and even participate themselves — virtually.

As part of a commencement tradition, each graduate received a medallion to “commemorate the moment and connect the class.” This year’s medallion bore a quote from the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”