Celebrating the Class of 2021
St. Olaf College will celebrate the Class of 2021 with an in-person commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 29.
Families and guests are welcome to campus for the commencement ceremony, which will be held on the Campus Green at 3 p.m.
Vice President for Student Life Hassel Morrison will deliver the charge to the graduating class. Morrison has nearly 25 years of experience in higher education, and at St. Olaf he leads campus-wide efforts to engage students in the life of the college in ways that support their learning, well-being, and success.
The Class of 2021 senior commencement address will be delivered by Venus Su ’21, an instrumental music education major from Taipei City, Taiwan.
In addition to the commencement ceremony, the graduating class will have the opportunity for celebration and reflection at several other events throughout the weekend.
The Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2021 will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, in Skoglund Center. Graduating students and their guests are invited to gather to worship and give thanks for the life and the community that was shared by the Class of 2021. This worship service is led by the college pastors.
The Campus Illumination Ceremony and Lighting will take place at 9:15 p.m. on Friday, May 28, on the Campus Green. Graduating students are welcome to bring guests. This ceremony honors the graduates as they transition from life as a student to becoming a member of the St. Olaf alumni community. Each member of the Class of 2021 will light their personalized lantern during the ceremony and illuminate the Campus Green. At the end of the evening, students may take their lantern home as a remembrance of their time on the Hill.
The Last Lecture and Parting Words will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 28. This event is only open to members of the Class of 2021 due to space limitations. Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Ibtesam Al Atiyat and Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion María Pabón Gautier will deliver the remarks.
Face coverings are required at all of these commencement weekend events. These events will also be streamed live and available for on-demand viewing online. More information can be found on the Commencement web page.
Favorite Memories
As we prepare to celebrate commencement, we asked our seniors to share some of their favorite memories from their time on the Hill. From touring the world with music ensembles to enjoying caf meals with friends, the Class of 2021 has memories to last a lifetime.
Read all of their reflections on the Class of 2021 Favorite Memories page.
“I am so grateful for the close friendships I’ve been able to form at St. Olaf. My favorite memories include walks in the Natural Land, trivia nights, trips to downtown Northfield, and nights in with the pod.” — Amelia Cichoski, English and economics major with a concentration in statistics and data science
“My favorite memory in college was when I studied abroad in Australia. From camping in national parks to fitting 13 people in a small hot tub, every day was new and exciting. However, the memories I will miss most are the small, day-to-day moments I’ve shared with my friends on campus. I will miss Friday movie nights, late night conversations, early morning workouts, and karaoke dance parties. But mostly I’m going to miss all my friends who made St. Olaf feel like home.” — Phine Mejias, biology major
“My favorite memories from my time at St. Olaf are the quiet moments when I walk back to my dorm after a long day of classes and I am greeted with a beautiful sunset stretching across the sky.” — Amy Imdieke, chemistry and English major