Each year, the Western Illinois University Multicultural Center (MCC) hosts identity graduation celebrations, which highlight the uniqueness of underrepresented students’ experiences and celebrate the accomplishments and success of each graduate, while embracing their cultural and familial context.

The ceremonies will honor graduates from Casa Latina, the LGBTQ*A community and the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center (GBCC). The Casa Latina Cultural Center Recognition Banquet was held Friday, April 22. The GBCC event will be held Thursday, April 28, and will feature special keynote speaker Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx. The Lavender Graduation will be held Friday, April 29.

“We are so excited to join together in person once again to celebrate our graduates,” said Carl Ervin, MCC associate director. “To recognize a student’s graduation is to acknowledge that we know you and we see you, we are glad that you spent time here and we are thrilled to join you in the celebration of a wonderful achievement.”

Kywn Townsend Riley, MCC graduate assistant and Spring 2022 graduate, noted that the identity gradations are important because these are intentional spaces created by the students, for the students.

“Our Black students, along with the other students in our center, deserve to be celebrated. We’ve designed an amazing experience for the graduating students, and I’m so excited that Illinois Attorney Kim Foxx will be our keynote speaker at the GBCC graduation,” Riley said. “We’re both members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, so I’m thrilled that my sorority sister will be here to celebrate with us. I have been admiring the work she does for our state and her perseverance, and I am so grateful that she will be coming to our campus.”

Multicultural Center Director Rocio Ayard Ochoa said she is grateful for the support the center has received from WIU President Guiyou Huang

“The Multicultural Center is excited to celebrate graduates in a special ceremony that honors their educational journey, loved ones, ancestors and identities,” Ayard Ochoa added.

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Sean Leary is an author, director, artist, musician, producer and entrepreneur who has been writing professionally since debuting at age 11 in the pages of the Comics Buyers Guide. An honors graduate of the University of Southern California masters program, he has written over 50 books including the best-sellers The Arimathean, Every Number is Lucky to Someone and We Are All Characters.