Commencement Details
Commencement is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, 2025.
56th Annual Commencement Program
| Processional | Pomp and Circumstance |
| Welcome | Dr. Michael Boyd President Kankakee Community College |
| Introduction of Speaker | Michael Boyd |
| Commencement Address | Dr. Melvina Calvin Edwards |
| Recognition of Achievements and Milestones | Michael Boyd |
| Presentation of the Class of 2024 | Michael Boyd |
| Conferring of Degrees and Certificates | Cathy Boicken Chairperson Kankakee Community College Board of Trustees |
| Awarding of Degrees and Certificates | Quincy Rose-Sewell Vice President Academic Affairs Kankakee Community College |
| Recognition of Commencement (moving tassel) | Robert Rogers Student Representative |
| Closing Remarks | Michael Boyd |
| Recessional | Brass Ensemble |
Commencement Live Stream
Commencement Speaker
Fawn Hendershott
Fawn Hendershott ’12, RN, BSN, CHPN, MBA, Executive Director, UpliftedCare
Fawn Hendershott grew up in the Chebanse area. After graduating from Central High School, she earned an associate degree in nursing from KCC in 2012 and began her career at Riverside Healthcare in Kankakee. At Riverside, Hendershott worked on both the telemetry and post-acute care units. In 2015, Hendershott began working at UpliftedCare as a nurse case manager.
Award Recipients
John M. Fulton Distinguished Alumni Award - Yamei Rohlfs
All-Illinois Academic Team
Nominated for the All-USA Academic Team
These students are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. They have been selected for the All-Illinois Academic Team, a special recognition based on outstanding academic performance and service to the college and community. Each two-year college in Illinois may nominate two students per campus. As members of the All-Illinois Academic Team, they also are nominated for the All-USA Academic Team.
Academic Regalia
Academic dress is a colorful and impressive feature of a college commencement. A rich tradition reaching back to scholastic life in 14th century England has established the use of distinctive gowns and hoods in academic ceremonies. A person holding a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree wears academic dress appropriate to his/her highest degree.
Associate Degree—Gown is black with pointed sleeves, mortarboard cap is standard, tassel is in school colors.
- Gold honor cord and tassel signify 4.0 (A) scholastic achievement.
- Silver honor cord and tassel signify 3.80 to 3.99 scholastic achievement.
- Purple honor cord signifies membership in Lambda Epsilon Chi National Honor Society in Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies.
- Gold stole and tassel signify membership in Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
- Peach honor cord signifies membership in the Alpha Delta Nu-ETA Chapter of the National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing.
- White stole with and American flag along with red, white and blue accents distinguishes graduates who have served in the Unites States military. This includes those currently serving on active duty, veterans, reservists, and National Guard members.
- Red, white and blue cord signifies membership in SALUTE Veterans national Honor Society.
Bachelor's Degree—Gown is black with pointed sleeves, open wide at the end. Mortarboard cap is standard. Tassel is black or colors of major field of study. The hood is 3 feet in length and hood trim is 2 inches wide.
Master's Degree—Gown is black and has a closed sleeve with a tail that hangs down from the base of the sleeve. The rear part of the oblong tail is cut square while the front has an arc cut away. Mortarboard cap is standard. Tassel is black or colors of major field of study. The hood is 3½ feet in length and hood trim is 3 inches wide.
Doctoral Degree—Gown is black with bell-shaped sleeves with three velvet stripes. Instead of a mortarboard, the cap is a tam-o'-shanter. Tassel is black or gold. The hood is 4 feet in length and hood trim is 5 inches wide.
The hoods for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees are trimmed and lined with a satin fabric in the official color of the institution that granted the degree. The trim color on the hood, by contrast, is distinct to the subject of the degree, with associated colors listed here.
| Agriculture | Maize |
|---|---|
| Arts, Letters, Humanities | White |
| Commerce, Accountancy, Business | Drab |
| Dentistry | Lilac |
| Economics | Copper |
| Education | Light blue |
| Engineering | Orange |
| Fine Arts, including Architecture | Brown |
| Forestry | Russet |
| Journalism | Crimson |
| Law | Purple |
| Library Science | Lemon |
| Medicine | Green |
| Music | Pink |
| Nursing | Apricot |
| Oratory (speech) | Silver gray |
| Pharmacy | Olive green |
| Philosophy | Dark Blue |
| Physical Education | Sage green |
| Public Administration, including Foreign Service | Peacock blue |
| Public Health | Salmon pink |
| Science | Golden yellow |
| Social Work | Citron |
| Theology | Scarlet |
| Veterinary Science | Gray |
Ceremonial Insignia
KCC's ceremonial mace is carried at the front of the academic procession at commencement. The mace demonstrates the official authority of the proceedings. Historically, the use of a mace dates back to the middle ages as a symbol of power and influence.
KCC's mace was hand-turned and took 20 hours to construct. It is made of black walnut, and stands at more than 3 feet long. The bronze laurel leaves encompass a medallion bearing the college's name and logo. The mace and its stand were custom-designed and handcrafted by artisan Richard Condon in 2015.
The official President's Medallion is regarded as part of the permanent insignia of the college, along with the academic mace. The chain represents the trust and authority invested in the president by the board of trustees. The chain is placed on the neck of the new president when he or she is installed in office. It is worn by the president along with other academic regalia at official celebrations, such as inaugurations and commencement.
KCC's President's Medallion features the college name, seal and official shades of red and blue. It is cast in bronze and measures 3.5 inches in diameter. The medallion is anchored by an ornamental chain, with links separated by a plate with the word President. As a permanent insignia of office, the President's Medallion is passed to each succeeding president of the college.