Fox 5 Highlights Iona College Virtual Commencement to Celebrate Class of 2020
Fox 5 turned to Iona College to showcase how schools can recreate the magic of a grand ceremony, even during this pandemic.
COVID-19 has forced recent graduates to adjust to new ways of marking major life milestones. Fox 5 turned to Iona College to showcase how schools can recreate the magic of a grand ceremony, even during this pandemic.
Iona College’s Hannah McGowan ’20, president of the Student Government Association, told Fox 5 about how her family helped to make it extra special at home, with a graduation parade of family friends and a celebration with her mom and sisters.
“It doesn’t beat Madison Square Garden, but it came close,” said McGowan said.
McGowan also delivered the welcome message on behalf of undergraduate students during the Commencement ceremony, saying: “We have witnessed the transformation of our college, and have transformed right alongside it.”
Watch the Fox 5 segment here.Related News: Iona College Creates Virtual Commencement Ceremony to Honor Graduates in the Age of COVID-19
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.