Thomas Jefferson University apologizes after commencement presenter flubs graduates' names

PHILADELPHIA -- Thomas Jefferson University is apologizing for one of its graduation ceremonies.

During the commencement on Thursday, several names were dramatically mispronounced.

It happened during the school's College of Nursing graduation.

The school said it happened because of the way the phonetic spellings were presented on the speaker's cards.

The presenter did apologize.

Thomas Jefferson University released the following statement:

"The leadership and faculty of Thomas Jefferson University extend our sincerest apologies for the mispronunciations of the names of several of our graduating nursing students during our recent commencement ceremony. This ceremony is a celebration of the significant achievements of our students, and each graduate deserves to have their name honored correctly on this pivotal day.

We also recognize that commencement is not only a milestone for our students but also a deeply important day for their families and loved ones who have supported them throughout their educational journey, and we are deeply sorry for any disappointment this may have caused. The mispronunciations occurred due to the way phonetic spellings were presented on the speaker's cards, which was noted when the presenter apologized during the ceremony. This unfortunate error does not reflect the immense respect we have for our graduates and the value we place on their hard-earned accomplishments."