Commencement 2015

While most Harvard journeys start on campus, they rarely end there. More than 10,000 College alumni give back as steadfast volunteers, in more ways than one. Four alumni share why they dedicate their time and energy to Harvard.

Harvard president bids Class of ’15 farewell at Baccalaureate, telling members they should resist the call to be ruled by fear, even though it floods society.

Harvard’s traditional Phi Beta Kappa Literary Exercises showcased gifted graduates, gifted teachers, gifted members of the Class of 1965, and a poet and orator who both looked to the past to call up lessons for the future.

Harvard’s honorary degree recipients span history, with Benjamin Franklin, Helen Keller, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela being just a few among the hundreds over the past 364 commencements.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger reflects on predecessor George C. Marshall’s Commencement address at Harvard in 1947, which extended America’s hand to a battered Europe and, in so doing, helped to create a stable postwar order and an inclusive, long-term U.S. foreign policy.

Samantha Noh ’15 shares her memorable Harvard moment, connecting to a distant student past as part of the Yard archaeology digs .

The Graduate School of Design’s Héctor Tarrido-Picart, who earned two degrees, is drawn to bustling cities, and to the literature that defines them.

The massive library, which rose after the Titanic sank, remains a linchpin of learning and conservation at Harvard.

Michael Mancinelli ’15 found that at Harvard he could anchor an offensive line and immerse himself in electrical engineering at the same time.

Test your knowledge of Commencement facts and traditions.

When she graduates from the Kennedy School with her master’s, onetime refugee Fadumo Dayib plans to run for president of Somalia, her homeland.

Every Commencement at Harvard, the Yard fills with graduates and their families celebrating. But look closely in the front row, and you’ll see another jovial gathering. Press photographers from all over the region flock to the Yard to immortalize the regalia and traditions in Tercentenary Theatre. For the Boston press corps, noted for its collegiality, it’s a reunion of sorts.

Megan Diamond took a few years to decide on a path in public health. After working overseas investigating health in Africa, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health graduate is looking forward to continuing her work in global health.

Saheela Ibraheem has always been ahead of her time and is graduating from Harvard College this spring at just 20, a neurobiology concentrator who is looking forward to pursuing a career in academia.

Talented actress and singer Elizabeth Leimkuhler divided her time at Harvard between her love for the stage and her love for all creatures, great and small.

Afamefuna Nduaguba, a Nigerian immigrant, overcame early struggles at Roxbury Community College to gain a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and now an M.D. from Harvard Medical School.

Actress Natalie Portman ’03 has been selected as Class Day speaker for Harvard College. Portman will address the graduating class on May 27, the day before the 364th Commencement.

At Harvard’s 364th Commencement, award-winning author and journalist Farai Chideya ’90 will lead her class as this year’s chief marshal.

A special notice regarding Harvard’s 364th Commencement Exercises, which will be held May 28.

Deval L. Patrick, who recently concluded two terms as governor of Massachusetts, will be the principal speaker at the Afternoon Exercises of Harvard’s 364th Commencement in May.