Amherst College's 203rd Commencement took place on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Relive the highlights of the day in this slideshow, and for even more photos, check out our Flickr albums from Saturday, May 25th and Sunday, May 26th.
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Class marshals (left to right) Reeya Patel ’24, a chemistry major from Ann Arbor, Mich., Lorett Alarcon Perez ’24, a biology major from Englewood, Fla., and Mufaro Mazambani ’24, a biology major from Harare, Zimbabwe lead the Commencement procession.
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President Elliott congratulates Kathy Xing ’24, left, a computer science and mathematics major from San Jose, Calif. Xing was awarded the Woods-Travis Prize for outstanding excellence in culture and faithfulness to duty as a scholar. Lorett Alarcon Perez ’24 (right), a biology major from Englewood, Fla., was awarded the Obed Finch Slingerland Memorial Prize. awarded to a member of the senior class, who, during his or her first three years at Amherst, has shown by his or her determination and accomplishment the greatest appreciation of and desire for a college education
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Taha Zafar Ahmad ’24, a chemistry major from Philadelphia, Pa., was chosen by his classmates to serve as senior speaker.
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Swift Moore Teaching Award winner Jeanne Winand Herdocia (a high school English teacher) and Jordan Trice ’24 (who nominated Herdocia), an English and sexuality, women's and gender studies double major from Tampa, Fla., celebrate the moment. Related reading: “Everyone Needs a Jeanne in Their Life.”
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Latin teacher Dawn McRoberts Strauss was nominated for a Swift Moore Teaching Award by Anayah Scott '24, a German and neuroscience double major from Chicago, Ill.
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Hannah Elizabeth Gariepy ’24, a mathematics major from Canton, Ohio, nominated Julie Filliez Werren, her high school French teacher, for a Swift Moore Teaching Award.
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John E. Kirkpatrick ’51 received the Medal for Eminent Service, established in 1934 to recognize exceptional service to the College over a great period of time.
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Honorary Degree Recipients (clockwise from top left): Ingrid Daubechies, Lauren Groff ’01, Elaine H. Kim, Junius W. Williams ’65 Esq., Jason Moran, and Alexis Massol González.
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President Michael A. Elliott delivers the Commencement address at Amherst College on May 26, 2024.
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Left to right: Mufaro Mazambani ’24, a biology major and class marshal from Harare, Zimbabwe; Taha Zafar Ahmad ’24, a chemistry major and the senior class speaker from Philadelphia, Pa.; and Brooke Chester Alexander ’24, a mathematics major from Columbus, Ohio.
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Abadai Zoboi ’24, a Black studies major from Maplewood, N.J., celebrates the moment.
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Students mark the end of the ceremony with a celebratory toss of their graduation caps.
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Hamza Shemsu ’24, a computer science major from Cambridge, Mass., with his family.
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Francelia Walsh-Despeignes ’24, a Black studies and education studies double major from Brooklyn, N.Y., celebrates with her family.
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Uelese Gregorio Tedtaotao Balabagno Patu ’24, a biology major from Kapolei, Hawaii, poses with his family. Uelese is wearing a Samoan ceremonial headdress called a tuiga.
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Jihyun Paik ’24, a film and media studies and art and the history of art double major from Wayne, N.J. and Seoul, Republic of Korea, celebrates with her family.
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Caitlin Annabelle Hoffman ’24, a biochemistry and biophysics and economics double major from Severna Park, Md., poses with her family.
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Left to right: Maxim Alexander Melnichuk-Litvak ’24, a neuroscience major from Demarest, N.J., and Ry Bleckel ’24, a physics major from Waimea, Hawaii. The friendly shaka sign they are making is associated with Hawaiian culture and expresses friendship, gratitude, goodwill, encouragement and unity.