Casper College to hold 74th Commencement Ceremony virtually

In the interest of the health and safety of students, their families, and supporters, this year’s commencement ceremony will be held virtually. The ceremony will premiere at 3 p.m., Friday, May 15, on Casper College’s Facebook and YouTube platforms. The premiere event will allow viewers and graduates the benefits of a live event.

According to Linda Nichols, registrar, the ceremony will feature the same elements of a traditional ceremony, including speakers and music. The virtual commencement will also include individual highlights of graduates, with their pictures and messages to loved ones and other important people who have helped them succeed in their educational journey.

“We’re making every effort to create a memorable experience for this year’s graduating class. We want to celebrate them and their accomplishments in the best way possible given the circumstances during this global pandemic,” said Nichols.

Each student wanting to participate and have their name read during the ceremony needs to fill out the intent to participate in virtual commencement form and return it to the college by 5 p.m. Monday, May 4. Students can request a form or direct questions to records@caspercollege.edu. More information is also available on the CC Graduation and Commencement page.

Students that complete the virtual commencement form will be sent a link to upload both a photo of themselves and a message to their loved ones and others “ … who have helped them be successful in their educational journey,” Nichols noted. The college has partnered with LifeTouch and GradPak to gather the photos and messages. The companies will create a slide for each student that will appear when that student’s name is read. Eligible graduates should have received an email with information about uploading photos and comments. Those must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, May 4, 2020.

Following graduation, graduates will receive their diploma, diploma cover, and a copy of the graduation program in the mail.

This year’s speaker will be graduating student Morryah McCurdy. Earlier this year, McCurdy was named the 2019-2020 Student of the Year by the Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees.

Casper College is also extending an invitation to the graduates of 2020 to participate in a traditional commencement in May 2021. “We hope they will join us to celebrate the achievements and resilience of the graduating class of 2020 Thunderbirds,” said Nichols.

This year’s commencement premiere may be viewed and will be available for later viewing after May 15, on Casper College’s Facebook page or on the college’s YouTube page.