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St. Olaf celebrates Class of 2024 at commencement ceremony

St. Olaf College celebrated the Class of 2024 with a commencement ceremony on the picturesque lawn in front of Mellby Hall on Saturday, May 25.

President Susan Rundell Singer, who is just completing her first academic year leading the college, noted that the celebration was a special moment for a class that had seen its high school graduation ceremonies disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No class is more deserving of a joyful, celebratory commencement than the Class of 2024,” Rundell Singer told the graduates and families gathered on the lawn. “You are a remarkable, resilient group of individuals poised to make a difference in our world. It is my honor and privilege to celebrate with you today.”

“No class is more deserving of a joyful, celebratory commencement than the Class of 2024. You are a remarkable, resilient group of individuals poised to make a difference in our world.”

St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer

Miriam Clapp ’24, a quantitative economics and Chinese major from Chicago, delivered the commencement address. She started her speech by reading a poem that St. Olaf Orchestra Conductor Chung Park had shared with members of the ensemble during the St. Olaf Christmas Festival. Clapp noted that the poem, “Don’t Hesitate” by Mary Oliver, had stuck with her — and that its message on the importance of seizing joy in a world filled with challenges seemed perfect for this graduating class.

“Joy, in all its fullness and abundance, is found in small beginnings,” she told her fellow graduates. “It is meant to be fully embodied in community, surrounded and expressed with love. Love and community help us build resilience, fight against injustice, and make the world a better place, whatever that means for each of us. As I graduate with each of you today, I see the possibility in our lives and in the world. Our class has a wide array of unique interests, passions, and talents that we bring to face the plenty of challenges in our world.”

“As I graduate with each of you today, I see the possibility in our lives and in the world.”

Miriam Clapp ’24

In addition to the commencement ceremony, the graduating class celebrated with several other events throughout the weekend, including the Baccalaureate Service, the Campus Illumination Ceremony and Lighting, the Commencement Weekend Concert featuring the musical talents of the St. Olaf Band, St. Olaf Choir, and St. Olaf Orchestra, and the Last Lecture and Parting Words featuring remarks by Associate Professor of Religion Jason Ripley and Director of Student Activities Brandon Cash ’16.

Additional information about each of these events — and more — can be found on the Commencement web page.