By Courtney Elisech
The Delta College class of 2023 Commencement Ceremony will be held on April 28 at 6 p.m. in the Pioneer Gymnasium at the main campus. Graduates should plan to check in between 4:15 and 5:15 p.m. Guests should ensure they arrive when the doors are open from 5 to 5:45 p.m. as the door will close at 5:45 until after the graduates have entered.
For those graduating and participating in commencements, you will need to stop in the Delta Bookstore from now until April 28 to purchase your cap and gown. Don’t forget to sign the Commencement Participation Roster to have your name called. You will need to stop in and sign the roster even if you already have your cap and gown from another source or your name will not be called.
Caps and gowns are made of Renew Fabric making them environmentally friendly. About 27 recycled plastic bottles are used for a standard-size gown.
“One big thing that I would like to mention,” said Craig Wilson, graduation coordinator. “Is that if a student applied for graduation after the March 17th deadline, they can 100% still participate in Commencement if their graduation month is on or before August 2023. Their name will not appear in the program, but we still encourage them to participate.”
This year’s speakers for graduation are Sesa Graham and Simone Hardy. Graham is a graduate of the Journalism program and Hardy is a graduate of the Nursing program. Following Commencement will be a reception in the Commons by Red Brix Café for the graduates and their chosen guests.
According to Wilson, the class of 2023 is made up of 1143 students that are graduating in 108 programs, with some students earning more than one degree and/or certificate. These numbers are made up of students who graduated in Spring 2022 or Fall 2022, and students that applied to graduate in Winter 2023 or Spring 2023.
The overall top degrees are Associate in Arts, Associate in General Studies, and Associate in Science. Following that with the top certificates in Welding Engineering Technology, Law Enforcement/Basic Police Training, and Practical Nursing.
The school is planning for a larger turnout this year than the last few years, but that number is unclear until closer to graduation when everyone has purchased commencement apparel and signed the roster.
“In the past, we have had between 250-400 students attend Commencement,” said Anna Williams, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Student Empowerment and Success. “The last few years have had some challenges due to Covid (having to have a Cruise-in Commencement in 2020 and 2021, having 2 ceremonies by the degree in 2022), but I am expecting between 300-350 students to attend the ceremony this year.”
Don’t forget you have free Delta resources available to you as a graduate, contact career development at 989-686-9072 for more information. Career Development is here for you for life, with access to job listings on the Pioneer Connect Job Board, notification of job vacancies that would fit you, help with resume and cover letter development, and more.
If you have questions about graduation or commencements please reach out to Anna Williams at annawilliams2@delta.edu or Craig Wilson at craigwilson@delta.edu.
