It’s nearly time to celebrate the class of 2024. So bunker down for finals and get to work studying, or plan to fly out and book one of the region’s many boutique hotels as this year’s graduates toss their caps in celebration. Looking forward to the event? Here are the commencement speakers for some of the region’s biggest schools.
Bryn Mawr College
May 18
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Addressing the undergraduate class of 2024 at Bryn Mawr college is Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, while class of 1994 Lorelei Atalie Vargas, Chief Community Impact Officer of Trinity Church Wall Street, will speak to those receiving graduate degrees.
Lever for Change is a nonprofit that looks for solutions to the world’s biggest problems like racial inequity, gender inequality and climate change. This broad spectrum of purposes has given Conrad unique insight into the problems inherent in our society.
Vargas’s career, meanwhile, has spanned three decades of work in nonprofit, government sectors and critical areas of child and family well-being. Her current position at Trinity Church on Wall Street addresses the needs of communities in lower Manhattan.
Cabrini College
May 19
Cabrini College’s 64th and final commencement will be a bittersweet one. Kylie Kelce, class of 2017, and Dr. Rachel Slaughter, class of 1989, will speak to the final graduates of the institution. Kelce will speak to undergraduates, while Slaughter will speak to those receiving graduate and doctoral degrees.
Kylie Kelce, wife of former-Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, was a standout field hockey athlete through her college career and now works with the foundation she launched with her husband, (Be)Philly.
Slaughter is an educator and speaker on global literacy issues and a certified Reading Specialist via the Department of Education. A part-time features reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Tribune, her most recent work, Turning the Page: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural is a peer-reviewed metric designed to rate the quality of multi-cultural literature and literacy.
Eastern University
May 4
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Eastern University commencement speaker Rev. Dr. Tony Sundermeier will take the stage at the Mann Center on May 4 to speak to the class of 2024. Known for his rich understanding of theological principles, his battles against homelessness and the working poor has helped thousands throughout America. A class of 1997 graduate, he currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Presbyterian Homes of Georgia and as a board member for Midtown Alliance in Atlanta.
Rosemont College
May 18
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State Rep. Joanna McClinton, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, will take the stage to speak to Rosemont’s class of 2024 before receiving an honorary degree. Elected to serve Philadelphia and Delaware counties in 2015, McClinton became the first woman to serve as Democratic Caucus Chair, Democratic Leader and Philadelphia’s House Speaker.
Swarthmore College
May 25
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Class of 1976 graduate Lisa Smulyan got her undergraduate degree from Swarthmore before getting her masters from Brown University, then her educational doctorate from Harvard. She is currently the Henry C. and Charlotte Turner Professor for educational studies at Swarthmore.
Villanova University
May 17
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Commencement speaker and Philadelphia Archbishop the Most Revered Nelson J. Pérez, D.D., will receive the degree of Doctor of Sacred Letters, honoris causa, at Villanova Stadium on May 17. Appointed to the archdiocese of Philadelphia by Pope Francis in 2020, Pérez has over two decades of experience in the region and currently serves as as the bishop liaison for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and the Chair of the Board of Catholic Relief Services.
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