Congratulations Class of 2024!
Chestnut Hill College's 97th Annual Commencement is right around the corner and we want all of our Griffins to be prepared for their special day as well as events leading up to Commencement. Below you will find more information on the Commencement ceremonies, additional events celebrating our graduating classes, and resources/FAQs about the graduation process. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to email Terry Trainer (trainert@chc.edu).
97th Annual Commencement for the Class of 2024
Chestnut Hill College will celebrate its 97th Annual Commencement for the School of Undergraduate Studies and School of Continuing and Professional Studies on Saturday, May 11th with two separate ceremonies.
SUS students in the Center for Business and Center for Natural and Behavioral Sciences will be honored at a ceremony at 10AM with a procession beginning at 930AM.
ALL SCPS STUDENTS (regardless of center) as well as SUS students in the Center for Integrated Humanities, Center for Data & Society, and Center for Education, Advocacy and Social Justice will be honored at a ceremony at 2PM with a procession beginning at 130PM.
Each graduating senior in the School of Undergraduate Studies and School of Continuing and Professional Studies is guaranteed FOUR graduation tickets to the main graduation venue—Sorgenti Arena for the Commencement ceremony held on Saturday, May 11th. Students will also receive two (2) additional viewing guest tickets for one of the campus viewing locations, to be announced closer to graduation date. In addition, the entire Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed via YouTube and the College website.
The School of Graduate Studies will confer degrees to Master's and PsyD graduates at a separate Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 9th at 3 PM preceded by a reception at 1 PM for the graduating students. Please note, while families are invited to the commencement ceremony, the reception is for graduates only. Students in the School of Graduate Studies will receive three (3) guest tickets for the Commencement ceremony held on Thursday, May 9th. In addition, the entire Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed. Students will also receive two (2) additional viewing guest tickets for one of the campus viewing locations, to be announced closer to graduation date. In addition, the entire Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed via YouTube and the College website. If you will be attending the SGS Commencement, please make sure to fill out this survey.
We are looking forward to celebrating the remarkable achievements of all of those in the Class of 2024!
*The Class of 2024 includes all graduates who graduated in the following months: August 2023, December 2023, and May 2024.
Additional Commencement-Related Events for the Class of 2024
Open to ALL Students
Grad Finale
Students in all three schools (SUS, SCPS, and SGS) are invited to participate in Grad Finale, your one-stop-shop for all things Commencement! At Grad Finale you will be able to pick up your regalia, obtain your tickets, take a LinkedIn headshot, and more! Grad Finale will be on Thursday, April 18th.
Senior Portraits for Students in the School of Undergraduate Studies (9AM - 5PM). Please check your email for more information. Click here to sign up for your portraits.
SUS graduates can come anytime between 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm. SGS and SCPS students can come anytime between 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.
Baccalaureate Prayer Service
Students in all three schools (SUS, SCPS, and SGS) are invited to participate in the Baccalaureate Prayer Service on Friday, May 10th at 5:30 PM in the Motherhouse Chapel. Graduates & their families are invited to join together for an evening of reflection and prayer the night before Graduation. We will bless the graduates and pray for their journey ahead in the very special Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse Chapel! All faiths and friends are welcome. RSVP via this form (click here) as soon as you are able. Any questions can be directed to Anna Ryan-Bender, Director of Campus Ministry: ryan-bendera@chc.edu.
Open to Students in SUS and SCPS
Kente Cloth Ceremony
Students in the School of Undergraduate Studies & School of Continuing and Professional Studies are invited to participate in the Annual Kente Cloth Ceremony on May 10th at 3:00 PM. Click here to sign up.
Open to SUS Students - Senior Week 2024
In celebration of your accomplishments, Student Life has put together an array of events for you taking place from May 8th through May 10th, leading up to Commencement on May 11th. The theme of Senior Week this year is "Make Your Mark on the World", symbolizing your ability to make an impact on society once you depart from Chestnut Hill College, but also the mark you can make by giving back to the College in different ways as an alumni.
In order to partake in any or all of the opportunities provide to the Class of 2024, please complete this RSVP form for each event you plan to attend. It is also important to note that there may be a fee associated with an event to cover the cost of a ticket or food/beverages costs. If you are interested in attending the Phillies Game, you must RSVP by Thursday, April 4th at 5:00 pm; all other event RSVPs are due by Friday, April 19th.
The 2024 Senior Week Events include:
- Phillies Game (School Spirt Day) vs. the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, May 8th at 1:05 PM
- Limited shuttles may be available, but students are encouraged to find their own transportation to the game.
- Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia PA
- Cost to Senior: $10 per ticket (includes ticket to the game)
- Senior Cocktail Hour on Wednesday, May 8th at 7:00 PM
- Location: McCaffrey Lounge/Griffin Patio
- Cost to Senior: $5 per ticket (includes food and beverages)
- Senior Send-off Brunch on Thursday, May 9th at 11:00 AM
- Location: Fournier Dining Hall
- Cost to Senior: FREE
- Senior Happy Hour on Thursday, May 9th at 7:00 PM
- Shuttles would leave campus starting at 6:30 PM
- Location: Chestnut Hill Brewery
- Cost to Senior: $10 per ticket (includes food and beverages)
- Senior Send-off BBQ Lunch on Friday, May 10th at 12:00 PM
- Location: Piazza
- Cost to Senior: FREE
- Kente Cloth Ceremony on Friday, May 10th at 3:00 PM
- Location: Redmond Room, St. Joseph's Hall
Tickets for each event will be sold in the Mailroom starting in April, as well as at the Grad Finale on April 18th at the Student Life table. Please be on the lookout for a future email with Mailroom ticket sale times. Seniors will be able to purchase tickets per each individual event they wish to attend.
FAQs
2024 Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients
Tracy Davidson, M.A. 14 (Commencement Speaker for SGS)
Tracy Davidson is an anchor and investigative consumer reporter who has been with NBC10 News since March 1996. Over the last 25 years, she has represented the station at hundreds of community and charity events throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area. She has won 14 Emmy awards for her outstanding work in reporting, including twice for the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Best News Anchor in 2008 and 2013. Davidson has also been recognized by her alma mater, Temple University, with the Lew Klein Alumni in Media Award, as well as by the National and Pennsylvania Diversity Council with the Pennsylvania’s Most Powerful and Influential Women Award. In 2014, she was inducted into Philadelphia’s Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame and in 2017, she received the “Hero Award” from the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project.
Passionate about many causes, Davidson devotes much of her personal time to community service. As an advocate for victims of domestic violence, she has been honored by both the Laurel House in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and Vera House in Syracuse, New York. She has served on the Board of Directors for Philabundance and as the Honorary Chair for the March of Dimes’ Walk America/March for Babies. She serves as a Board of Trustees member at Manor College and an Executive in Residence at Alvernia University. Davidson also co-hosts a bi-annual day for women called Lifting Your Voice, which is designed to educate, empower, and connect women through skills of resilience, confidence, and more.
Davidson received her bachelor's from Temple University in Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media, a religious studies certificate from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, and has a master's degree in Holistic Spirituality from Chestnut Hill College.
Tarik Khan, Ph.D., CRNP (Commencement Speaker for SUS and SCPS)
Tarik Khan was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 194th Legislative District in Philadelphia in November 2022, which includes Manayunk, Roxborough, East Falls, and parts of Chestnut Hill, PA. A registered nurse for nearly two decades and nurse practitioner since 2011, Khan’s clinical work has influenced his legislative work including with bills to expand school-based health centers, allowing nurse practitioners to practice to the fullest extent of their license, ensuring that patients are the primary decision-makers in their care, and ensuring that Portable Medical Orders are enforceable.
Prior to his election as state representative, Khan worked tirelessly as a frontline nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic and co-created a vaccine program for persons with disabilities that he presented at a White House/CDC forum. His work was featured in People Magazine and Good Morning America – GMA3, as well as was profiled in the award-winning documentary, “Angel Dose.”
Khan received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022, and his current research focuses on improving access to health care for marginalized communities, especially those with disabilities. Khan is also a former president of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association and founder and chairperson of Enabling Minds, which supports the education of children with developmental disabilities.
Corinne O Connell (Honorary Degree Recipient)
Corinne O’Connell became CEO of Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia in 2017, after having joined the organization in 2009 as the Director of Development. She was named Associate Executive Director in 2011, serving in that role until becoming CEO, where she drives the organization’s strategic vision of working toward a city where everyone has a decent place to live. One of her first initiatives as CEO was to create a luncheon so she could tell the story of Habitat and how it is changing the trajectory of lives in our hometown. Today, that luncheon hosts over 1,000 people annually, helping to greatly increase awareness and generate needed money for housing projects.
O’Connell’s team was also instrumental in launching a new program to repair homes and keep owners in them at a significant cost-decrease of building a new home. She also founded the ReStore program, a sales shop for donated building materials and furniture, keeping unwanted goods out of landfills and funding the repairs of homes.
O’Connell received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Saint Joseph’s University and Master of Arts in nonprofit leadership from Seattle University.