Photo by Jamie Cotten

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 17, begins the celebrations for our 2025 graduates.

Below are the what, when, and where for the events you might want to know about during Commencement Weekend.

Baccalaureate, Saturday, May 17, 3 p.m., Shove Memorial Chapel

This event kicks off Commencement Weekend with a chance to reflect and express gratitude. Eric Popkin, Associate Professor of Sociology, will give this year’s Baccalaureate Address. Don’t forget, today is the deadline to submit Baccalaureate Blessings to be displayed on the jumbotron in Ed Robson Arena during Commencement. Ideas and instructions for how to submit a message can be found on our website.

Commencement, Sunday, May 18, 8:30 a.m., Ed Robson Aren
(Doors will open to guests at 7 a.m.)

This is the culmination of the academic year, and a time to honor the graduates of the Class of 2025. Mike Shum ’07 will deliver the Commencement Address.

NOTE: Baccalaureate and Commencement are open only to graduates and ticketed guests. A livestream for both ceremonies will be available online.

Photo provided by Akinchina

Sasha Akinchina ’25 has been awarded an El Pomar Fellowship, a program for recent college graduates and early career professionals to support the pipeline of leaders in the state of Colorado.

“Making resources accessible and approachable is a cornerstone of my work and values. I am so grateful to earn a spot in the El Pomar Fellowship, where I can give back to my state of Colorado, explore my passions, and grow as a leader,” says Akinchina. “The fellowship’s emphasis on leadership will help me continue learning how I can best position myself in the community to give back and lead with purpose. I have always wanted to work for a foundation and gain experience in the philanthropic sector, so I am looking forward to making an impact and working towards a shared mission of promoting the well-being of the people of Colorado.”

Akinchina would like to thank Roy Jo Sartin, Professor Kat Miller-Stevens, Leah Brown, and Emma Fairburn for their support during her time at CC and throughout the fellowship application and interview process.

Interim President Dr. Manya Whitaker is a panelist at today’s Colorado SunFest 2025, hosted by University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Whitaker is part of the panel on The State of Higher Education, which takes place from 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Other panelists include Dr. Jeremy Haefner (Chancellor, University of Denver) and Joe Garcia (Chancellor, Colorado Community College System), with the keynote address by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

CC has been named the top Peace Corps’ volunteer-producing small college for 2025. There are currently 13 CC alums serving in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and the Philippines. In 2024, it was announced that CC was ranked seventh all-time in small colleges and universities producing Peace Corp volunteers. To date, CC has had 375 alums who have served abroad through the program.

“Colleges and universities from across the nation are providing us their talented alumni to serve in countries around the globe,” says Allison Greene, Peace Corps’ CEO. “These top-ranked schools understand the transformative power of public service and human connection. The Peace Corps builds invaluable intercultural communication skills, a broadened worldview, and adaptive leadership qualities needed in the American workforce today.”

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Photo provided by the FAC

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L-R: Estefanía Izarnótegui ’26, Pang Pongsirirushakun ’25, and Alex Reynolds-Scheel ’25 bite their honors medallions as a joke to see if they’re real gold. Photo by Jamie Cotten