University News

Multicultural Graduation Celebration April 29 in University Union

April 21, 2023

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MACOMB, IL – In anticipation of Western Illinois University's commencement in May, the Multicultural Center (MCC) will host a joint graduation celebration to recognize the accomplishments and achievements of graduating members of the LGBT*QA, Latinx and African/African American/Afro-Caribbean communities at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 29, in the University Union Heritage Room.

In prior years, the MCC had hosted separate graduations for the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center (GBCC graduation), the LGBT*QA Resource Center (Lavender Graduation) and the Casa Latina Cultural Center (Latinx Graduation). However, in order to fully embody the values of inclusion, diversity and community building, the decision was made to host a single graduation to allow underrepresented students and members of the Macomb community to celebrate their achievements together.

"The Multicultural Center is very excited to host its first Multicultural Graduation Celebration," said Multicultural Center Director Katy Gorsuch. "It will be a time where all members of the WIU community can come together to honor the accomplishments of the graduating members of the LGBT*QA, Latinx, and African/African American/Afro-Caribbean communities. We believe it is a step towards expanding the ways we honor our extremely diverse and intersectional student populations at Western."

The Multicultural Graduation Celebration acknowledges the value and uniqueness of underrepresented student experiences and serves to commemorate and highlight the accomplishments of individuals within their cultural context. This event also celebrates the rich culture of our diverse student body; from the music, performances, speeches and more.

"The Unified graduation is a great opportunity to bring together all the centers and celebrate their perseverance in achieving their degree. It is our goal to be inclusive while celebrating the uniqueness of each individual that is a student here at the MCC," said MCC Assistant Director LeRon Williams.

If you wish to be featured at the in-person celebration, register at form.jotform.com/231075544981157 by Tuesday, April 25. Students must have signed up by this date in order to participate.

Please note that this is different from the WIU Commencement weekend, scheduled for Saturday, May 12-14. The Multicultural Graduation Celebration is not a degree-conferring ceremony.

For questions, please contact the Multicultural Center at mcc@wiu.edu or call (309) 298-3379. RSVP for the Multicultural Graduation Celebration at bit.ly/mccgrad2023.


Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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