A CALL FOR A COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER TO REPRESENT THE CLASS OF MAY 2026
To the members of the Graduating Class:
The Commencement Committee invites the members of the class whose last semester will be Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 to apply for the honor of representing the class as its speaker on the Commencement Ceremony.
This year, Lehman will be having four (4) Commencement Ceremonies. Each ceremony will have its own student speaker.
Ceremony Breakdown:
- Graduate Ceremony, for Students earning a Master or Doctor Degree
- Undergraduate Ceremony for students in School of Health Sciences, Human Services and Nursing (HS2N)
- Undergraduate Ceremony for students in School of Arts and Humanities (A&H), School of Business, and School of Continued and Professional Studies (SCP)
- Undergraduate Ceremony for students in School of Natural and Social Sciences (NSS)
The candidate chosen as class speaker will march with the President’s Commencement Party and will sit on the Commencement Platform. The class speaker’s name will also be featured among those of the other speakers and presenters on the official commencement program.
Candidates who wish to apply for this honor are invited to submit, in writing, a proposed speech no longer than 600 words in length. Proposed texts should be typewritten and double-spaced. Please place your name, current address, telephone and cell
phone numbers, e-mail address, EMPL ID # and your major/minor or majors at the top of the first page.
Candidates for this honor may choose for their text any subject or subjects appropriate for this festive occasion and are encouraged to focus their remarks upon such topics as will illustrate the significance of this great milestone in their lives and those
of their fellow graduates. Particularly encouraged are references to the personal achievements of their fellow graduates, to examples of the sacrifices and support rendered to graduates by family and friends.
The deadline for submission is Tuesday, March 31, 2026, by 11:59 PM.
Selected students will be invited to deliver their speech to the Commencement Committee members in an online interview for final selection. Interviews will be scheduled Friday, April 17, 2026, between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM.
For questions, please contact the Office of Campus Life at campus.life@lehman.cuny.edu.
Thank you,
The Lehman College Commencement Committee