Applications to become a speaker at this year’s graduation ceremony will be available Friday, Feb. 28, in the Student Development Office of the South Gym, Room 226.
The deadline to turn in applications is March 28. Graduation will be held at Memorial Stadium this year on Wednesday, May 21.
In order to apply, a student needs to be graduating this spring, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and the ability to speak in front of large crowds, according to Chris Torres.
Student Leadership and Development Student Affairs Specialist “[Being the] grad speaker gives students a chance to shine,” said Torres.
How the graduation speaker chooses to shine is up to the individual because, Torres said, student speakers can talk about anything they want at the podium.
“We don’t have any guidelines on content. We leave it up to [the student],” said Torres.
Past graduation speakers have taken the opportunity to thank their families and faculty who have helped them reach their educational goals, said Torres.
Gavin Fielder, City College Student Senate Secretary of Public Relations who plans to apply for graduation speaker this year, said, if chosen, he wants to do more.
Graduating with an associate’s degree in mathematics and having a strong connection to City College through his student leadership, Fielder said he hopes to inspire students with his graduation speech.
“I really want students here to succeed, so I want to convey this sense that they are going somewhere,” said Fielder.
With nearly 23,000 students on campus, the ability to share their own personal experience at City College with a graduating class is an honor, said Torres.
“We’re an academic institution where folks are going on to be engineers, nurses, artists—and to put yourself into a position to speak to people who are educated—it gives a huge shot of confidence to the student,” said Torres.
For more information or to obtain an application to speak at graduation, contact Student Leadership and Development or visit the South Gym, Room 226.
