Champion bagpiper Fred Payne led the procession of PhD graduates through the Elmwood, followed by Dr. Polly Coote, Board Member and Residents Relations chair woman of the Berkeley Presbyterian Mission Homes and the Rev. Doctor Max Lynn of St. John’s Presbyterian Church who was the graduation keynote speaker.The 2021 graduates receiving their PhDs were Ki Wook Min, from Korea and Myoung-ho Sin, from Germany/Korea.  Also receiving their PhD degrees from the Mission Homes were Jaesung Ryu who attended the virtual graduation program from Korea and Mariska Lauterboom who participated from Indonesia.  Also in this festive parade was Dr. Levi Checkett, also a Mission Homes resident who received the Virgina Hadsell Global Faith Leadership Award this year. Levi will be leaving BPMH to take a tenure track position at the Baptist University of Hong Kong.

Due to COVID 19, this was the second year in a row that graduates from the GTU were denied the joy of the usual pomp and circumstance at graduation time.  In light of that, Mission Homes director, the Rev. Sally Juarez wanted to create a memorable occasion for these students at the culmination of their long hard academic journey.  The goal was to create some “hoop-la!” and the procession, joined by family and friends, certainly did that!