Dr. Jill Biden
The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, Ed.D., is making a special appearance as the keynote speaker for the Los Angeles City College Commencement Ceremony on June . The event begins at 5 p.m. at the historic Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
Dr. Biden is a long-time advocate for higher education, especially community colleges. Since 2009, Dr. Biden has been a member of the faculty at Northern Virginia Community College. Dr. Biden has strong ties to Los Angeles City College (LACC) as well. In 2017, Dr. Biden, while serving as the Second Lady of the United States during President Obama's Administration, appeared at LACC to announce the launch of the Los Angeles College Promise Program offering free tuition for all new, full-time students at the Los Angeles Community College District, including LACC.
"We are just overjoyed and extremely honored that the First Lady of the United States will be joining us this year. We love her. Dr. Biden has been our champion for years and to have her here for our first in-person commencement in three years is amazing," LACC President Mary Gallagher, Ed.D., said. "This will be one of the most important and memorable commencements in the 93-year history of our college."
More than 1,000 students are expected to cross the stage at the venerable Greek Theater that has been used by LACC as its commencement location for many years in collaboration with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. LACCD Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D., and LACCD Board of Trustees member Andra Hoffman are scheduled to participate in the ceremony.
Students participating in the ceremony and their families or guests are encouraged to arrive early for parking and security purposes. The Greek Theater, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, Calif., 90027, has ample seating and all attendees will have a wonderful view of the stage. The event will be open to the press and LACC plans to provide a livestream of the festivities.
Messages were sent to LACC students' email addresses about the event. Student graduates can contact the LACC Office of Student Life for more information at (323) 953-2450 or by email to Kristine Dishchyan, dishchk@lacitycollege.edu.
More information for press coverage access is provided in a separate notice to the press from the White House. News media organizations that want to cover the event must RSVP to the White House no later than 5 p.m. PT, Friday June 3.
Members of the LACC Classes of 2020 and 2021 have been invited to participate as well. In- person graduation ceremonies for those classes were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although virtual ceremonies were held for them, the college decided to offer those students the opportunity to be in person, especially with the presence of Dr. Biden.
"Dr. Biden is such an important role model for young people, especially women, because she embodies the essence of grace, dignity, achievement of goals, empathy for others, and the importance of education as a pathway for success," President Gallagher said.
LACC is known as "The City's College" because of its location in the heart of Los Angeles and its history as one of the oldest and largest community colleges in California. LACC's mission is to provide educational opportunities for all and is often the key pathway for many underserved and under-resourced communities that surround the college in the Hollywood area who think a college education is unobtainable. A majority of LACC's students are the first in the families to attend and many subsist at, near, or below the poverty line.
"Our doors are open to anyone who wants to learn and who wants to obtain a college education to advance their career and earning power," President Gallagher said. "Our Class of 2022 remained dedicated to their education goals during the last two years despite the worst health pandemic in over 100 years. Our faculty and staff provided them the means, but they did it by overcoming adversity and all other obstacles. We are so very proud of them and having Dr.
Biden here to also recognize their accomplishments will be an astonishing moment in their lives."
The Los Angeles College Promise program offers free tuition for two years for all new, first-time, full-time students who enroll now at LACC or any of the nine colleges within LACCD. Students receive free tuition, a free laptop, free public transit, priority registration for the classes they need, and access to other special programs, financial aid, counseling and career education services.
The program is open to all first-time students regardless of age or citizenship or immigration status. Qualifying students must enroll full-time and enter at the beginning of the academic year. Apply online now to LACC.
The nine LACCD colleges include: Los Angeles City College; East Los Angeles College; Los Angeles Harbor College; Los Angeles Mission College; Los Angeles Pierce College; Los Angeles Southwest College; Los Angeles Trade-Technical College; Los Angeles Valley College and West Los Angeles College.
About Los Angeles City College
Established in 1929, Los Angeles City College is one of the oldest of the California Community Colleges. Located in the heart of Hollywood, LACC provides a dynamic innovative learning environment offering more than 100 vocational and professional programs including degrees, transfer programs and certificates to more than 18,000 students per year. Los Angeles City College is home to one of the most vibrant and diverse campuses in the country. The campus provides a wide range of professional and vocational programs at a fraction of the cost of state and private colleges.
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