Student Recognition

The Office of Student Affairs offers opportunities to acknowledge the academic and extracurricular accomplishments of all students. Below you will find the ways that the Office of Student Affairs recognizes students.

Commencement Speaker

During each Commencement ceremony, an undergraduate or graduate student has the unique opportunity to address their fellow graduates. Commencement speakers speak on behalf of the graduating class to provide well wishes, a reflection on their experiences at Illinois Tech, and their personal encouragement for the future. The Dean of Students Office spearheads the selection of the commencement speakers.

Applicants who wish to be the student Commencement speaker must meet the following qualifications:

Currently enrolled student graduating in the year they apply
In good academic and judicial standing (i.e. must hold a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher for undergraduate students)
Can demonstrate and highlight positive points of growth and experiences as an Illinois Tech student
Comfortable with public speaking

Finalists will be selected based on their submissions and will then present their draft commencement speech to the Commencement Speaker Selection Committee. The person who is selected will work closely with the student affairs team to refine their speech and get ready for the big day. The committee will make its decision after listening to all finalists.

This year, we will select two students; one per ceremony.

The selected speaker (s) will also receive the Commencement Speaker Award and will be invited to attend the Student Leadership and Service awards banquet in April.

Applications will open in January 2025!