Oakton to honor students during virtual commencement ceremony

Celebrate Oakton Community College's Class of 2021 by participating in the Virtual Commencement Celebration and Ceremony Monday, May 17.

This year's event features a live, interactive pre-celebration at 6 p.m. with trivia, a live chat and more.

The ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. No registration is necessary. To participate, visit oakton.edu/graduation.

You can post photos of your favorite grad on social media using the hashtag #Oakton2021 or email them beforehand to commencement@oakton.edu.

Submitted photos may be posted on the college's social media channels during the live event. Also, check out gifs and stickers in Instagram Stories and Oakton graduation Facebook frames. On Instagram, look for Oakton in the GIPHY search bar in Stories. On Facebook, go to Facebook.com/profilepicframes and search Oakton Community College.

"Graduation is always a highlight of my year, as it celebrates the accomplishments of our students," said Oakton President Joianne L. Smith. "While the pandemic prevents us from gathering traditionally, it's so important to celebrate the success of our graduates, particularly their resilience and persistence in achieving this milestone during the pandemic. I am confident that the Oakton Class of 2021 will use their time, talent and treasure to make the world a better place for all of us."

This spring, the college had 747 petitions for graduation, including 506 for degrees and 241 certificates. For the entire academic year, including summer and fall, there will be 1,178 degrees and certificates awarded.

The average GPA for those petitioning is a solid 3.13. Oakton's graduating class spans generations, with the youngest graduate being 17 years old and the oldest 74.

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