Colorado Mountain College to hold virtual commencement on May 15

DILLON — Colorado Mountain College announced on Tuesday, May 5 that the school will hold a virtual commencement (in the place of seven canceled in-person commencements at the school’s various campuses) on May 15 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The virtual commencement will still feature the seven Colorado women who were originally slated to give commencement speeches in-person. The speakers will now pre-record their messages for the virtual celebration. These women were selected as part of the college’s commencement celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote:

• Christine Benero, president and chief executive officer, Mile High United Way (Roaring Fork Valley ceremony including Aspen, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and Spring Valley campuses)
• Lauren Y. Casteel, chief executive officer, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (Vail Valley at Edwards campus)
• Heather Dugan, head of law enforcement, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CMC’s Colorado Law Enforcement Training Academy)
• Kate Greenberg, Colorado commissioner of agriculture (Steamboat Springs campus)
• Monica Márquez, justice, Colorado Supreme Court (Rifle campus)
• Jennifer McLaren, president and chief executive officer, Smartwool (Leadville and Salida campuses)
• Dr. Angie Paccione, executive director, Colorado Department of Higher Education (message from the CDHE to all graduates)
• Dianne Primavera, Colorado’s lieutenant governor (Summit County ceremony including Breckenridge and Dillon campuses).

In the statement, Colorado Mountain College said graduating students will receive a package in the mail this month containing a mortarboard and tassel, a letter from the president, alumni mementos and other surprises. Graduating students have also been entering information and photos into an online form, which will populate the virtual commencement website at Commencement2020.coloradomtn.edu. The site will go live for the ceremony at noon on May 15.

Students will then watch the program tailored for their home campus, including a student speaker. Each graduating students’ name will be called by an emcee and a student speaker will return to the screen to lead their classmates in the turning of the tassels.

The college is encouraging graduates to pull together “watch parties” of friends and family members and to post photos using the hashtag “#cmcgrad2020” or at colomtn.edu/gradphotos.