Message on Commencement

Commencement Ceremony Updates

Sent on Behalf of the President’s Office and the Student Development Office

We are excited to announce that this year, El Camino College received an unprecedented number of Commencement student speaker submissions. Fifteen (15) submissions seeking participation in the ceremony were received by the Commencement Committee. Historically, the number of submissions has generally not exceeded more than six (6).  Each of these submissions represents the diverse lived experiences and different student voices we know make up the intersection of our student body. Therefore, this year, as we celebrate thousands of students at El Camino we are excited to recognize these students by providing the opportunity to publish their submissions on our website and print author-selected excerpts in our Commencement Program. We are proud to honor them all by including a broader representation of our diverse student voices. During the ceremony these students will also be acknowledged and invited to stand. In addition, ASO President Jose Merino and El Camino College Board of Trustees Student Trustee Connor Lai, will provide celebratory remarks to students.

Additionally, over the past two years it has been noted that large numbers of students departed early due to the length of the ceremony. As a result, this year we are altering our approach and we will not have a Commencement Keynote Speaker. The shorter remarks and the printing of the Student Speaker speeches in the program and online, provides the College with an opportunity to streamline the ceremonial proceedings, and let our students’ words and lived experiences be commemorated.

We look forward to honoring and celebrating the graduates, their families, and the El Camino community, at Commencement 2024, Friday, June 7, 2024 at 4 p.m. in Murdock Stadium.

Sincerely,

Brenda Thames, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President
El Camino College

Ricky Gonzalez, MPA
Director of Student Development
Student Support Services
El Camino College