This essay is based on conversations with Gracella Brown, a 41-year-old business executive from Glendale, Arizona, and her 20-year-old daughter, Gracel Jones. Edited for length and clarity. Glendale Community College apologizes for the disappointment caused by technical issues. The college’s full statement can be found at the end of the essay, it can be read.
Gracera Brown: I attended Glendale Community College for an Associate of Arts degree in 2016 and graduated in 2019. Graduation ceremonies were not held until 2020, but were unable to take place due to the continued spread of the coronavirus.
It was really difficult for me as a first-year university graduate, but I couldn’t walk. I knew what was going on in this country so I didn’t take it personally, but I was still disappointed.
They sent me a robe, hat and stole and that was it. I was so happy to put it on and finally achieve my goal. That was my way of celebrating.
I was really looking forward to my daughter graduating from the same school as me, but I missed that too.
Gracel Jones: For me, joining GCC was a difficult decision. I previously attended a different school, but then I had a setback and decided it was time to go in a different direction. GCC was more affordable and closer to home. I decided that going to community college after high school was a better decision. I studied philosophy.
I was even deciding whether to go to graduation or not. At that moment, I thought, “Today is a day of celebration for me.” So, I registered.
They held a community event where they picked up stalls. Otherwise, the school will charge $33 for a regular stole and $55 for a woven stole. I ended up missing it because I was either working that day or was tired from work. In the end, I ended up using the one my mom gave me as a graduation gift.
brown: I didn’t have a chance to use it, so I asked my girlfriend to use it for me. My daughter graduated from the same school that I graduated from. It was the family legacy we were building.
Gracel Jones wore her mother’s stole to her graduation ceremony. Gracera Brown
Jones: At first it was normal. After the president spoke, the staff spoke. When the graduates were called out, at first I thought it was someone calling out their names, and I didn’t think it was strange. Then I heard names repeated and people skipped over.
It wasn’t until we got on stage that we realized they were scanning our business cards. Everyone around me was talking about it. They were really annoyed.
brown: I didn’t see her cross the stage. She was coming from the seating area when I met her. I don’t know how I missed her when she took the stage. I was paying attention to the screen.
That’s when I saw her name. I started looking for her. where is she? Maybe she had just gotten off stage, I thought. When I looked back at the YouTube videos, her name came up much later.
That upset me. The purpose of my participation was to see my daughter walk. That is the meaning of going to the graduation ceremony. I feel like I’ve been robbed of that fun. It’s not a good feeling having to go back to a YouTube video to watch it when you’re actually there.
Jones: They called on the graduates to walk again, but I didn’t walk back. At that point I was ready to go home. I was already frustrated but they were very indecisive. It took about two hours to listen to people’s stories.
brown: We were texting. I said to her, “I can’t see you, where are you?” She said, “I have already walked.” I was so upset that I got up and left. In fact, I was booed on the way home. I didn’t care who heard me or how other family members felt.
The name “Gracell Jones” appeared on the screen, but Jones had walked in two minutes earlier. Gracera Brown
Jones: As people started to leave, the company president showed up and said they were using a “new AI system.” All the graduates booed.
brown: I’m from an older generation, so I actually like AI. I have heard that it is not well accepted by the younger generation. I have been using AI in business marketing. There are many problems and I have a lot to learn, but I think it will be useful.
However, I don’t think AI should have been used in this situation. I think it should have been my real name.
Jones: I’m rather the opposite. It’s not about AI in general, because AI is built into basically everything. But in some aspects, like this time, it wasn’t the best to use it. No troubleshooting was done and it was very experimental.
It felt like a very unprofessional situation. At least they could have told us what was going to happen instead of doing something experimental on graduation day.
brown: To make up for it, it was fun afterwards. We had a little get together at the house to eat and sit by the pool.
Glendale Community College’s full statement is below.
“As the university shared, a technical issue occurred during the ceremony that affected the reading of some graduates’ names. Once the issue was identified, the ceremony was paused and graduates were encouraged to take the stage again to ensure their names were correctly recognized.”
“We know that graduation is an important milestone for our students and their families, and we are sorry for any disappointment this may have caused. We are proud of our graduates and all they have accomplished, and remain focused on celebrating their accomplishments and what lies ahead for them.”