Framingham State University is gearing up for two virtual ceremonies and the in-person Ram Graduation Walk to celebrate the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021.

The virtual ceremonies will be held on Sunday, May 23^rd. The ceremony for the Class of 2020 – which saw its ceremony postponed last year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – will kickoff at 10 a.m. and feature a keynote address from Lyndia Downie, President & Executive Director of the Pine Street Inn, one of the largest agencies serving homeless populations in New England.

The ceremony for the Class of 2021 will begin at 2 p.m. and feature a keynote address from U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Clark who represents the Fifth District of Massachusetts and is the Assistant Speaker of the 117^th Congress. The University will also confer the President’s Medal upon Professor Halcyon Mancuso during the ceremony, in order to recognize her significant philanthropic contributions to FSU with the establishment of the Mancuso Scholarships and the Mancuso Humanities Workforce Preparation Center.

"We are truly excited to celebrate these two resilient classes," says FSU President F. Javier Cevallos. "They have persevered through so much adversity to reach this moment."

A link to the virtual ceremonies will be available at: https://www.framingham.edu/academics/commencement/index

While the University hoped to hold traditional in-person ceremonies, continued capacity restrictions due to COVID-19 make that difficult. Instead, the University has organized the Ram Graduation Walk, an in-person experience for students to celebrate the completion of their degrees. The optional event will be held in the Dwight Hall Performing Arts Center between June 2 and June 5 and will enable each participating graduate to have their name called on stage while up to four guests cheer them on.  A professional photographer will be on hand to capture the moment.

"We hope this is a fun and exciting event for students and their families," says President Cevallos.