On May 13, Scripps College celebrated the Class of 2023 during its 93rd Commencement exercises on Elm Tree Lawn. The ceremony was the culmination of many academic milestones for this year’s graduates, several of whom received prestigious fellowships to continue their research around the world.
“As an alumna, I can tell you first-hand that Scripps, both the education you’ve received and the friends you have made here, will continue to be an important part of your life after college,” said Board of Trustees Chair Laura Hockett ’85, who opened the ceremony. “We know that what you have learned at the College will transcend the years you have spent in the community, and that in time–probably very soon–you will play important roles in this complex and changing world.”
Actor and producer Kelly McCreary, known for her work on Grey’s Anatomy, delivered the keynote address. She noted that the Class of 2023 had not only faced academic challenges during their years at Scripps, but had also reinvigorated the College’s on-campus culture and community after their return from pandemic-induced remote instruction.
“Under circumstances that would challenge the best of us, you remained committed to your studies, and you refined the priceless power of critical thinking that will be the engine behind all you pursue and create in life,” McCreary said. “While the world around us is fractured by relentless cultural, economic, and political turmoil, in contrast, you have earned a reputation for knowing who you are, and what you want, and supporting one another in pursuit of those goals. You are so inspiring, and the world needs your particular skills, and your humanity more than ever.”
McCreary was selected as this year’s keynote speaker by senior class co-presidents Ishi Gupta ’23 and Elaine Yang ’23, who delivered the senior address to their classmates.
“Scripps makes you embrace your passions,” said Gupta. “We encourage each other to explore what we enjoy, pursue our goals, and then create our own opinions from there. We have self-confidence, a self-assuredness that we got by learning, living, and growing together.”
“We carry our shared experience at Scripps ready to embark on our coming journey,” added Yang. “As we stand here today one last time as your senior class presidents, we urge you to fight, to dream, and to live courageously beyond Scripps.”
Photos of the 93rd Commencement exercises are available for graduates and families here.