Swarthmore College 147th Commencement
Photo by Laurence Kesterson
Perhaps parents were a bit misty, but the weather was as brilliant as the future for the 395 graduates of the class of 2019 at Swarthmore College’s 147th commencement last Sunday, May 26. In the ceremony at Scott Outdoor Amphitheater, Bachelor of Arts degrees were awarded to 380 of the graduates, with 31 graduates earning a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. (Math majors will deduce that 16 students earned double degrees.) Highest honors were awarded to nine graduates, 55 received high honors, and 23 received honors. Zara Williams-Nicholas ‘19, a native of Kingston, Jamaica who graduated as a mathematics and dance double major, addressed her peers as the senior class speaker.
Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith awarded honorary degrees to visual artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby ’04, biochemist Jon Lorsch ’90, and justice advocate Bryan Stevenson. Special awards announced at the ceremony include the Oak and Ivy (Lili Tobias ‘19, Zhicheng Fan ‘19), Lang (Rebecca Regan ‘19), and McCabe Engineering (Bilige Yang ‘19, Greta Studier ‘19) awards. Isaac H. Clothier Jr. Professor of Biology Amy Cheng Vollmer and Zain Talukdar ‘19 addressed the senior class at Last Collection on May 24. Kenneth Sharpe, who is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Political Science, addressed the graduating class at Baccalaureate services on May 25. And in a last hurrah for the century-old but soon to be demolished Engineering building, the graduating engineers spelled out “Farewell Hicks” on their hardhats as they received their degrees.
