USD's Class of 2018 is Getting Ready for Commencement

It's time for the celebration to begin at the University of San Diego's Jenny Craig Pavilion. Six times over the next two weekends, more than 2,000 students who've put in countless hours in classes, on projects, papers, tests and readings as well as participated in clubs, Greek Life, athletics, community service projects, plays, concerts, competitions, faith retreats, study abroad and other activities, are ready for their big day.

Commencement ceremonies for USD's Class of 2018 will take place May 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 inside the JCP. All five graduations as well as the May 26 Baccalaureate Mass will be livestreamed on the USD website.

May 19: School of Law

Up first is the School of Law. More than 250 students will receive a JD, LLM or MS at their ceremony, which begins at 9 a.m. Erik Greupner, JD, a 2004 USD law graduate who works as the chief operating officer for the San Diego Padres, is the commencement speaker. The law school will have its traditional Graduation Mass at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 18 in Founders Chapel. A post-graduation ceremony reception for all graduates and their families will take place at Eagan Plaza, just outside of the JCP, will take place immediately after graduation. Light refreshments will be available.

May 20: SOLES, Professional and Continuing Education

Next up is the newest graduation ceremony. Taking place at 10 a.m. on May 20 is the Graduate Schools I graduation for all graduate and doctoral degree recipients from the School of Leadership and Education Sciences as well as master's degree programs connected to the Division of Professional and Continuing Education -- Master of Science in Cyber Security Operations and Leadership and the Master of Science in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership. This ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. in the JCP. The commencement speaker is Dima Ghawi '04 (MBA). Following the graduation ceremony, a reception for SOLES graduates and their families will take place on the west patio area of Mother Rosalie Hill Hall. The post-graduation reception for PCE-affiliated degree recipients and their families will be held in the Shiley Center for Science and Technology Atrium.

May 25: NROTC Commissioning Ceremony and more

The following weekend starts with the NROTC San Diego Commissioning Ceremony on Friday, May 25 at 10 a.m. in the JCP. ROTC students who attend USD, San Diego State University, UC San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene and California State University San Marcos are commissioned as Second Lieutenants (U.S. Marines) and Ensigns (U.S. Navy).

Later in the day, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science will have its annual honors convocation at 1 p.m. in Shiley Theatre, followed by a reception for graduates and their families at 2 p.m. in the Camino-Founders Courtyard.

The annual Graduate Schools Mass will take place at 3:30 p.m. on May 25 in Founders Chapel.

May 26: Graduate Schools II Commencement, Baccalaureate Mass

The Graduate Schools II ceremony takes place on Saturday, May 26 at 10 a.m. Those receiving graduate degrees are students from the School of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science (graduate and doctoral degrees) and the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. Following the graduation ceremony, the School of Business will host a reception in the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice's Garden of the Sea; the Kroc School will host its reception in the IPJ's Garden of the Sky; and the College of Arts and Sciences' graduate reception will be held in the Degheri Alumni Center courtyard.

Later, on May 26, at 4 p.m. within the JCP, is the annual Baccalaureate Mass for graduating students and their families and friends.

May 27: Undergraduate Commencements

The final day of Commencement, Sunday, May 27, consists exclusively of undergraduate student graduations.

The College of Arts and Sciences graduation will take place at 9 a.m. in the JCP. The ceremony will include a commencement speaking address by USD CAS and School of Business Valedictorian Christopher Harrop (BA, Spanish, BBA International Business) as well as Adama Iwu '05, who is the senior director of state and local government relations for Visa. Iwu was also one of several women to appear on the cover of Time Magazine recognized as "Silence Breakers" in its "People of the Year" issue for her work with the We Said Enough Foundation. Furthermore, a Male and Female Alcala Award winner will be announced at the ceremony. A post-graduation reception will take place immediately along Torero Way in front of the Hahn University Center and the Student Life Pavilion.

The last graduation ceremony on May 27 and for the 2017-18 academic year will be for the School of Business and Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering undergraduate degree recipients. The ceremony will include a commencement speaking address by USD Engineering Valedictorian Anthony Shao (BS/BA Electrical Engineering, BBA Finance) as well as Ali Reza Arabnia '87 (MBA), who is the group president and CEO of the Geico Taikisha Group, a global leader in the planning and construction of turnkey automated car painting systems. A post-graduation reception will take place immediately along Torero Way in front of the Hahn University Center and the Student Life Pavilion.

In addition to Commencement there are numerous recognition ceremonies taking place now through May 26. For more information, please visit USD’s Commencement website.

—USD News Center