Elon shares new details about Commencement Week speakers

The university announced the speaker for Numen Lumen: Senior Baccalaureate Reflection and the student speaker for the May 24 commencement ceremonies.

With a little less than a month until members of the Class of 2024 receive their diplomas, Elon has announced the featured speaker for the Numen Lumen: Senior Baccalaureate Reflection and the student speaker for the university’s 134th Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies.

Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley shared the new details with members of the graduating class on Thursday, April 25, as students head into the final weeks of classes for the spring semester.

Alyssa Martina
Alyssa Martina, director of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

On Tuesday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m., the Class of 2024 will gather Under the Oaks for Numen Lumen: Senior Baccalaureate Reflection. This special moment takes place in a part of campus that has been sacred to generations of Elon alumni. The graduating seniors will enjoy reflections and music from members of their class, candle lighting and then will receive oak saplings to mark their growth while students at Elon, a longstanding university tradition.

The keynote address will be provided by Alyssa Martina, executive director of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 24, and will feature a new aspect this year. Members of the senior class could apply to deliver remarks to their fellow students during the university’s dual undergraduate commencement ceremonies, an honor that previously fell to the class president.

Grace Ackermann ’24

President Book and Dooley shared with the class Thursday that Grace Ackermann ’24 has been selected to deliver a Message of Appreciation on behalf of the graduating class. Ackermann will graduate with a degree in human service studies and has been active on campus as a Periclean Scholar, admissions tour guide, the director of Campus Kitchen for Elon Volunteers!, and a member of Elon’s chapter of the Sigma Kappa sorority.

Dooley noted that the selection process attracted many outstanding candidates, and the university will honor the work of the finalists by providing written copies of their speeches at the Senior Baccalaureate Reflection service.

The 134th Undergraduate Commencement for the Class of 2024 is scheduled for Friday, May 24, at 9 a.m. for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and School of Communications and 2:30 p.m. for the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and. The ceremonies will be held in the Schar Center.

A full schedule of events and further details can be found on the Commencement website. Both ceremonies will be available to livestream on personal devices.