Three seniors will be featured speakers this weekend as their Class of 2024 graduates from Gustavus.
The Commencement Day events kick off on Saturday morning, May 25, beginning with back-to-back Baccalaureate services in Christ Chapel at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The graduation processional begins on Hollingsworth Field at 1:45 p.m.
Kate Dario ’24 and Angel Maame Afua Obiorah ’24 will speak at the Baccalaureate services, and Andrea Cruz Bracamontes ’24 is this year’s Senior Commencement Speaker. The three were chosen by a committee of students, faculty, and staff from a pool of graduating seniors.
Dario is a Communication Studies major from St. Paul, MN, with minors in Film & Media Studies and Theatre Design & Technology. She’s been involved in a variety of campus activities during her time on the Hill, including Adoption Recognition Community, Student Philanthropy Council, working an internship with the Gustavus Human Resources Department, and a member of the Tri-Sigma Sorority. She serves as an ambassador for DEIB and the Center for Inclusive Excellence, and she created The Compassion Initiative, a recurring program that sought to promote kindness and inclusivity around campus. Dario’s Baccalaureate address will focus on that program and how she hopes the principles from it will continue to blossom and benefit the Gustavus community.
Obiorah is a Chemistry major on the pre-med track. The Ghanaian-Nigerian American has been involved in many Gustavus organizations, including the Pan-Afrikan Student Organization, Diversity Leadership Council, Proclaim, and Prepare Ministries. She also served as an ambassador for the Center for Inclusive Excellence. Her address will discuss the many ways her faith has been strengthened during her time at Gustavus.
Bracamontes is a Political Science and Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies Major with a minor in Spanish from St. Paul. She has held leadership
positions in the Organization of Latin American Students, the Diversity Leadership Council, and Model United Nations; and has served as a Peer MALT and on the President’s Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She also is a member of the Tri-Alpha, Phi Beta Kappa, and Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Societies. During the Commencement ceremony, she will discuss how she and her fellow classmates overcame the Covid-related challenges at the beginning of their Gustavus years—with the help and guidance of many advisors and mentors along the way—to create a genuine sense of community as they walk the stage this weekend.
Congratulations to all our Class of 2024 graduates!