Commencement
April 17, 2025
Augustine to bring hopeful message to grads
Sarah Augustine is a Tewa woman who is the co-founder and executive director of the coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. Announced publicly on March 27, Augustine will be the keynote speaker for the 127th Commencement Ceremony at Goshen College. Augustine said the main work of the coalition is decolonization. “Our work is to undo in the name of Christ what was done in the name of Christ … dismantle laws and policies that are the product of colonization,” she said. They invite people who are descendants of Christians and settlers to join with Indigenous peoples in their movements...
April 11, 2024
Guyton to speak at commencement
“It’s done. It’s finished.” As students stress about final exams in a couple weeks, Glen Guyton, the executive director of Mennonite Church USA, has the main construction of this year’s commencement speech complete. “Now I just have to make sure it’s good and that it resonates with the students,” he said. Guyton is selective about which speaking opportunities he takes — as the head of MCUSA, he receives a lot — but he ultimately accepted this invitation because he values Mennonite universities. “The colleges have been a place where many of our leaders come from,” he said. “It’s a good...
April 13, 2023
Year culminates with 125th commencement weekend
The weekend of April 29 will include numerous graduation related activities, culminating in the 125th Goshen College commencement ceremony on Sunday at 3 p.m. Jan Kauffman, GC’s registrar, headed this year’s commencement committee. “I love commencement weekend because there’s a lot of energy and celebration,” she said. “Seeing the students that I’ve connected with walk across the stage, knowing some of their stories and the hard work that it took to get there, is just the best.” Numerous graduation related activities will take place on Saturday, such as the nursing pinning ceremony. Faculty also hold receptions for their respective academic...
April 14, 2022
Commencement on May 1
A version of this article appeared in The Record on February 10. For the first time in two years, seniors will be able to enjoy a commencement ceremony similar to pre-pandemic years. On Sunday, May 1, the class of 2022 will gather in the Recreation-Fitness Center to bring their time as Goshen College students to a close. According to Brian Yoder Schlabach, a member of the Commencement Planning Committee, this year will bring “a return to a ‘normal’ commencement weekend.” One of the biggest changes, compared to last year’s event, is that seniors are allowed to bring guests to the...
February 11, 2022
In-person commencement to feature John D. Roth
For the first time in two years, seniors will be able to enjoy a commencement ceremony similar to pre-pandemic years. On Sunday, May 1, the class of 2022 will gather in the Recreation-Fitness Center to bring their time as Goshen College students to a close. According to Brian Yoder Schlabach, a member of the Commencement Planning Committee, this year will bring “a return to a ‘normal’ commencement weekend.” One of the biggest changes, compared to last year’s event, is that seniors are allowed to bring guests to the graduation ceremony. With this change, the committee sought to acknowledge Yoder Schlabach...
February 19, 2021
2021 commencement to take place in person
Commencement for Goshen College’s class of 2021 will take place in person on Sunday, April 25 at 3 p.m. in the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center, a decision announced by President Stoltzfus and the commencement planning committee last Friday. After last year’s commencement ceremony was held online due to COVID-19, a student advisory group pushed to give themselves and their peers a chance to walk across the stage and receive their diploma in person – a request being made by college students all across the United States. “Keeping safety as our guiding concern, our highest priority is to honor our undergraduate...
April 12, 2018
Commencement Activities to Take Place
A few weeks from now, Goshen College will host its annual commencement weekend. There will numerous events across campus, all taking place on April 28-29. The events will kickoff on Saturday at 10 a.m., with the seniors participating in the commencement rehearsal. The rehearsal will start in College Mennonite Church Chapel and end in the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center. Following that the rehearsal will be a pinning ceremony at 1:30 p.m. for the senior nursing majors, which will also take place in the Church-Chapel. At 5 p.m., a dinner will be offered to graduates, guests and faculty with normal rates...
April 13, 2017
Commencement 2017
Yet another class will graduate from Goshen College in the 119th commencement ceremony on April 30. During commencement weekend, a number of events will be available for students, graduates and their families on Saturday afternoon and evening, as well as Sunday morning. The weekend will kick off with the Senior Class Program. Graduating students will have the opportunity to showcase a handful of different talents and reflect on their time at Goshen College. This event is open to the public and will take place in Sauder Concert Hall. Following that program will be the President’s Reception for graduates and their...
April 14, 2016
Goshen prepares for 118th commencement ceremony
On Sunday, April 24, Goshen College will host their 118th Commencement ceremony. The 2016 class will graduate after spending four years on Goshen College’s grounds. The first event for the class of 2016 will be on Monday, April 18 when the students will celebrate the Graduate Dessert Reception at the College Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall. Following the dessert reception, the annual Commencement Weekend events will start on Saturday, April 23. During the course of the weekend, the academic departments will each have receptions with the students graduating out of the program. Families of graduates are invited to join and meet...
April 16, 2015
‘92 alumnus will speak at 2015 commencement
Goshen College Alum Raj Biyani is scheduled to speak at the commencement ceremony on Sunday, April 26. Biyani is currently the managing director for Microsoft IT India. Since graduating from Goshen College in 1992 where he studied computer science and accounting, Biyani has acquired an impressive resume. He earned an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago and since then has worked in many areas of Microsoft. The Microsoft website has applauded him on his profile page by stating that “Under Raj’s leadership, the Microsoft IT India organization has become a magnet for top talent across India, improved team...
April 9, 2014
Conferred Degrees Call for Celebration
It’s eighteen days until commencement, and across campus, seniors are getting ready. For every graduation, a variety of things come together to make the weekend special. This year, Goshen College will welcome former GC business professor Joyce Bontrager Lehman to speak at the commencement ceremony on April 27. Bontrager Lehman, a 1965 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, taught accounting and business classes at GC for two years. Later, she worked for MEDA, Mennonite Economic Development Associates, providing financial consultation and training in over 20 different countries. During her career, she worked for several different organizations focused on economic development, including...
April 18, 2013
From Goshen to China and everywhere in between
As Goshen College seniors prepare for graduation, many wonder where their peers will end up living in the coming year. For some graduates, it won’t be very far: nearly a quarter of the current graduating class plans to stay in Goshen next year, according to a recent online poll conducted by The Record. For others, the journey is farther. Half of the graduating class plans to live out-of-state, while an additional 9 percent will go out of the country. Though the common perception might be that students are unsure about the future, only 7 percent of 97 respondents said they...
April 10, 2013
NPR correspondent to speak at GC commencement
Dan Charles, who works for National Public Radio as a food and agriculture correspondent, will deliver the commencement address at Goshen College’s 115th graduation ceremony on Sunday, April 28. His speech, “Searching for what’s real in the digital world,” will encourage graduates to discover authentic communication in spite of modern technology. “In this world of mass communication, the technology is great,” Charles said, “but you do lose something along the way.” For Charles, there are two sides to what is considered “real” communication: there is the “true” side and the “authentic” side. While most college graduates are trained to look...
April 11, 2012
Cambridge bishop to speak at 114th commencement
Goshen College will celebrate its 144th commencement on April 22nd and will welcome Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward as the commencement speaker. Barrington-Ward will present “Becoming What You Are: Exploring the Great Exchange” to the 210 undergraduate and 23 master’s degree candidates who are prepared to receive diplomas in the Recreation-Fitness Center. Barrington-Ward, a recipient of bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, was initially connected with Goshen College in 2001 when a ’73 alumnus, previously employed by Barrington-Ward, realized the Goshen College Arts in London course would be visiting Coventry Cathedral, at which Barrington-Ward was bishop. The group met...
April 21, 2011
Seniors prepare to graduate, pass the torch
Out with the old, in with the new--it's the cycle of life. As the 113th class of Goshen College seniors prepare to graduate on May 1 and join the Goshen College alums that make up 1 percent of all the college graduates in the world, they are making room for the students in the classes below them to fill their leadership roles. President Jim Brenneman sees this shift as an "inspiring transaction" as each year the graduating seniors, grounded in the core values, go out into the world and figure out how the core values work in the lives they...