During a commencement ceremony at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, several graduates’ names were pronounced incorrectly, leading to confusion and an eventual apology from the university. The event occurred on a Thursday, and the mispronunciations were notably recorded and widely shared online, accumulating over 20 million views.
Graduates Sarah Virginia Brennan, Molly Elizabeth Camp, and Thomas Michael Canevari Jr. were among those whose names were inaccurately announced. The mispronunciations continued until Canevari corrected the speaker, prompting a brief consultation among the officials. Following this, the names were pronounced correctly, and an apology was issued to the audience. The university later released a statement emphasizing the significance of correctly honoring graduates’ names and apologizing for the errors, which they attributed to issues with the phonetic spellings on the speaker’s cards.
The incident received additional attention when it was featured on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, where Fallon commented humorously on the situation. The university reaffirmed its regret over the mishap, underlining the importance of the commencement as a milestone for both students and their families.