Saint Mary’s Graduates to Cross the Finish Line, ‘Plot’ Their Next Move at Upcoming Spring Commencement Ceremonies
Jubilant. Relieved. Hopeful. Those are just a few of the words that describe the various emotions expected to be felt by graduating students during Commencement season at Saint Mary’s.
Beginning in mid-May and continuing through the end of the month, the College will conduct its spring commencement ceremonies and celebrate this year’s graduating class.
A special and revered time on the academic calendar, Commencement is a moment when students gather to celebrate their achievements with friends and family, proudly walk across the stage, and reflect on their years at Saint Mary’s as they ponder the promises ahead of them. Nearly 500 undergraduate students are expected to receive diplomas, while more than 400 Graduate and Professional Studies students are earning their degrees.
“Our graduates have earned this moment of acknowledgement and celebration, and we plan on making it as memorable as we can,” said SMC President Richard Plumb. Each graduate, he added, will be recognized by name and personally congratulated on the platform by himself, the provost, and the appropriate dean.
“Our Commencement ceremonies are full of smiles and cheers throughout—from our graduates, their families, guests, and other supporters,” said President Plumb. “Our Christian Brothers and faculty members, in particular, often know their students by name, and our staff members have built personal connections with our graduates throughout their four years at Saint Mary’s.
“This graduating class holds a special place in my heart, and I will cherish the opportunity to congratulate them for this life-changing milestone they have reached. They should be very proud of their achievements,” he said.
WHEN AND WHERE: Undergraduate and Graduate and Professional Studies ceremonies will both take place at Saint Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21, respectively. Each event begins at 9 a.m.
“This graduating class holds a special place in my heart, and I will cherish the opportunity to congratulate them for this life-changing milestone they have reached.”
— President Richard Plumb
Other key cultural graduate celebrations include:
- 16th Annual Lavender Graduate Celebration (LGBTQIA+ Community) – May 11 at 4:30 p.m. in Hagerty Lounge
- 21st Annual Asian & Pacific Islander Graduate Celebration – May 13 at 9 a.m. in the Chapel
- 27th Annual Black Graduate Celebration – May 18 at 6 p.m. in the Soda Activity Center
- 25th Annual Latinx Graduate Celebration – May 19 at 8:30 a.m. in the Chapel
Though not considered “official” graduation ceremonies, Saint Mary’s cultural graduation celebrations give Gael students from many historically underrepresented and traditionally marginalized groups the opportunity to acknowledge and honor the overcoming of barriers they may have faced during their personal journeys.
“Grad Grounds” (aka “Plot parties”) a unique characteristic of Saint Mary’s Undergraduate Commencement
In addition to other, more traditional aspects of Saint Mary’s Commencement, Gael undergraduate students have, for generations, taken part in “plot parties,” now formally known as Grad Grounds. These are part of 2023 Commencement festivities as well.
Plot parties are post-ceremony receptions enjoyed by undergraduate seniors and their families. The gatherings take advantage of the beautiful grounds of Saint Mary’s, with participants staking out a “plot” of grass on one of the campus’s lawns for picnics, laughter, music, and celebration.
Due in large part to the popularity of this decades-long tradition, arrangements (including location requests) are strongly encouraged.
On the Graduate and Professional Studies side, a reception will take place on Chapel Lawn following the morning Commencement ceremony on May 21. Students and their families and friends can enjoy food and beverages while basking in the glow of graduation.
Inspirational Commencement Speakers: Kalina Bryant and Dr. Karina L. Walters
Two speakers—Kalina Bryant ’14 for the Undergraduate ceremony, and Dr. Karina L. Walters for the Graduate and Professional Studies ceremony—offer another inspirational element to Commencement weekend.
Bryant, a Gael alumna, has used her voice, knowledge, experiences, and creativity to tackle the injustice and disparities in Silicon Valley and beyond for women and people of color. Using an education-first approach, she works to empower and uplift young professionals, women, and the BIPOC community to overcome both conscious and unconscious bias, and to triumph regardless of the environment. She focuses on closing the equity gap between underrepresented groups and opportunity in business.
Dr. Walters, the speaker for the Graduate and Professional Studies ceremony, possesses expertise in behavioral and multi-level health interventions in culture, traumatic stress and health, historical and intergenerational trauma. She recently became the Director of the Tribal Health Research Office at the National Institutes of Health.
An enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the only Native woman to give the NIH Director’s Lecture, Dr. Walters also is the proud parent of a daughter, Amaya Simoni-Walters ’26, who is finishing her first year at Saint Mary’s.
Learn more about Saint Mary’s Spring Commencement, including related activities and initiatives such as Grad Fair, by visiting the Commencement website.