Since the Hudson Valley is home to a number of higher learning institutions, graduation season is an exciting time for many locals. As colleges and universities from Albany to Westchester celebrate their students, many alumni and renowned figures will be in attendance at graduation ceremonies to wish the graduates luck on their post-degree endeavors. From Time‘s 2024 CEO of the Year to an acclaimed author, these are the Valley’s 2025 commencement speakers.
Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson
May 24, 3 p.m.
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At Bard College’s 165th commencement ceremony, the commencement address will be given by former prime minister of Haiti and president/founder of Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis. Currently, Duvivier Pierre-Louis is a professor at Université Quisqueya in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Columbia-Greene Community College
Hudson
May 10, 10 a.m.Â
Columbia-Greene Community College will congratulate its graduating class of 2025 during a commencement ceremony on May 10.
Dutchess Community College
Poughkeepsie
May 16, 4 p.m.
The class of 2025 will celebrate their graduation from Dutchess Community College on May 16 at the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center (formerly the Mid-Hudson Civic Center) in Poughkeepsie.
Marist University
Poughkeepsie
May 24, 11 a.m.
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Each year, Marist hosts a scenic commencement ceremony in front of the Hudson River. For 2025 and the institution’s first year as a university, Steve Kornacki of NBC News will address undergraduates of the class of 2025. Kornacki is an acclaimed NBC News national political correspondent and prominent journalist.
Mount Saint Mary College
Newburgh
May 17, 10 a.m.
An alumnus of the college from 1998, Dr. Joseph Palamara will be the commencement speaker at Mount Saint Mary College’s 2025 ceremony. A Middletown native, Dr. Palamara is a board-certified small animal veterinary surgeon.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy
May 10, 8:30 a.m.
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America’s oldest technological research university, RPI welcomes Lisa Su and RJ Scaringe to speak at the commencement ceremony. Su is the chair and CEO of AMD and was named Time‘s CEO of the Year for 2024, and Scaringe is a class of 2005 graduate and founder and CEO of Rivian.
Rockland Community College
Clover Stadium, Pomona
May 19, 11 a.m.
Rockland Community College, a State University of New York, will host its commencement ceremony at Clover Stadium in Pomona on May 19.
SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz
May 17 & 18, 10 a.m.
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SUNY New Paltz divides its undergraduate commencement ceremony over two days. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will have a ceremony on May 17, while the schools of business, education, fine and performing arts, and science and engineering will have a ceremony on May 18.
SUNY Ulster
Stone Ridge
May 24
At its annual commencement ceremony on May 24, SUNY Ulster looks forward to celebrating the accomplishments of its students at the university’s Louis Berger Athletic Fields.
United States Military Academy at West Point
West Point
May 24
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Following an address by previous President of the United States Joe Biden in 2024, the United States Military Academy is likely to welcome the Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, or another prestigious leader to be the commencement speaker at this year’s ceremony.
University at Albany
Albany
May 15-18
The university’s president will officiate the 2025 commencement ceremony at the State University of New York at Albany. Although stage-crossing ceremonies will take place over the course of four days, the university-wide undergraduate ceremony will be at 11 a.m. on May 17.
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie
May 25
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For the 161st commencement ceremony at Vassar College, author Torrey Maldonado will deliver the commencement address. An alumnus from 1996, Maldonado is known for writing books including Tight, What Lane?, Secret Saturdays, and Hands.
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