Austin Community College District (ACC) has invited 9,162 graduates to attend the college’s first in-person commencement since the start of the pandemic.
The ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 13, at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park. It will also be live-streamed on the ACC website and recorded for future viewing.
The event will recognize both summer and fall 2021 students, as well as those who graduated since the start of the pandemic and celebrated with virtual commencement ceremonies.
“Every student deserves a moment to be in the spotlight. College is challenging during normal times, but these two years tested even the strongest of students. Despite the fears and uncertainty surrounding the global pandemic, our grads persevered,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC chancellor. “Giving these students an opportunity to come back with their peers, hear their name read aloud, and then walk the stage is a small gesture but a powerful moment that we’re honored to provide.”
Fall 2021 marks another year of growth in the college’s graduation and completion numbers. A record 3,733 candidates who completed their courses in summer and fall 2021 were invited to the ceremony. That’s up nearly nine percent from fall 2020 and 14 percent from fall 2019.
This year’s commencement speakers are Pete and Tomi Winstead, founding members of KLRU’s Producer’s Circle major donor program. Read their full bio here.
Meet ACC’s fall 2021 Chancellor’s Student Achievement Award, Yessica Marroquin, here.