Knox College’s 178th Commencement ceremony honored the class of 2023 on June 4, 2023. On a warm, late-spring morning, family and friends gathered to the sounds of the Cherry St. Combo on the South Lawn of Old Main to congratulate and celebrate the achievements of 266 graduating students.

Knox College President C. Andrew McGadney praised the dedication and resilience of the class, noting their ability to reach the end of their college careers despite the many challenges they faced along the way.

Following McGadney’s address, honorary degrees were awarded to Joseph B. Glossberg, a successful wealth advisor and longtime Knox trustee, and Michelle Kuo, a vocal advocate for social movements in racial and economic justice, incarceration and detention, restorative justice, and prison abolition. Commencement speaker Brooke M. Wiseman also received an honorary degree for her service as chief executive officer of Blessings in a Backpack, the only national organization solely dedicated to closing the weekend hunger gap for food-insecure students.
Wiseman urged the class of 2023 to keep volunteer work a part of their lives after leaving Knox.

“Choose your cause. Take your skills and passion out into the community. We all have a lot of work to do together. They are waiting for you now,” Wiseman said.

Retiring Director of Choral Activities Laura Lane received the Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence just before senior class speaker Alexandra Marcoullier ’23 began her remarks.

In closing, senior class officers Vanessa Christine Jackson ’23, Josie Lopez ’23, and Class of 2023 President Katherine Zhang made individual remarks.

Director of Spiritual Life Dan Marlin completed the ceremony, asking the graduates to carry their values into the next step of their journey and let integrity be their guiding light.