2023 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
Friday, June 30th, 2023
 

 
 

LTCC's 48th Commencement ceremony was held on Friday, June 30 on the college's soccer pitch. This year, 226 students earned their AA degrees, and another 47 earned their certificates of achievement and foundational skills certificates.

A professional photographer with Hall Creations took portrait photos of all graduates on stage as they received their degrees from LTCC President Jeff DeFranco. These are available to download for free!

Download Your 2023 Graduate Portraits
Watch the Graduation Video Highlight Reel

 


Dr. Daisy Gonzales in LTCC's Board RoomKeynote Speaker Dr. Daisy Gonzalez

LTCC is excited to welcome California Community Colleges' Deputy Chancellor Dr. Daisy Gonzales as this year's Commencement keynote speaker. She is a role model to thousands of students, staff, faculty, and administrators in California's community college system, and for Latina leaders in particular. She is also an experienced and unapologetic advocate for student success. Born into an immigrant family in Southern California and raised as a former foster youth, she was among the first in her family to attend college.

Dr. Gonzales was appointed interim chancellor in August 2022, breaking down barriers as the first Latina and only the second woman to serve as chancellor. Her primary duties involved implementing the Vision for Success, a bold systemwide plan that seeks to reduce students' time to degree completion, increase degree and credential attainment, boost transfer to the University of California and California State University campuses, and provide Californians with the necessary job skills to find good-paying careers.


Graduates: No guest tickets are required to attend Commencement, and all are welcome. The 2023 ceremony will be held on LTCC's synthetic turf soccer field, located immediately next to the standalone Physical Education Center building on campus. Parking at LTCC is free and ample! Park either in the main lot immediately adjacent to the soccer field, or park in the Community Playfields lot on the other side of the field, accessible via Al Tahoe Boulevard.

Answers to commonly asked questions about graduation are below. If you need further information, please contact the Office of Student Life at studentlife@ltcc.edu.

 

~ Frequently Asked Questions ~

  • Grad pack pick-ups will take place Monday, June 12 - Friday, June 16. Packs may be picked up in the Office of Student Life, Room A106 in the LTCC Commons, first floor in the Main Building. Join us for a special Grad Pack Party on Wednesday, June 14 outdoors on the Library Plaza. We will have free food, music, and the opportunity to record a thank you video.  
  • Yes, please have a form of identification with you. In addition, please come prepared to share your Student ID number. If you do not know your ID number, we may ask for verifying information.    
  • No tickets are required in order to attend Graduation!  
  • For family members who cannot make it in person, there will be a livestream available that can be watched from anywhere. 
  • Follow @laketahoecommunitycollege & @ltccstudentlife.
  • Use #LTCCGrad to be featured in our ceremony's large screens and livestream.
  • There will be a professional photographer taking photos of all the graduates. You can find these free photos on this webpage - they'll be posted shortly following the event.
  • We will livestream the entire ceremony on LTCC's YouTube channel.
  • Yes! There will be a photographer and videographer taking photos and videos throughout the ceremony. Photos will be posted to this webpage within a week following the event. Check LTCC's social media for videos!

Graduates

  • Graduates must wear their cap and gown to this event. Caps and gowns are free of charge!
  • Masks are optional.
  • Not recommended: high heels (they're a little tough to walk the turf on)

Guests

  • Guests may dress per their personal comfort level (business-casual is common). We suggest comfortable shoes for walking and wedges instead of high heels. The venue will be taking place on LTCC's soccer field, made of artificial grass. Masks are not required; LTCC maintains a mask-friendly environment, and anyone who wishes to wear one is encouraged to do so.
 
  • Commencement programs will be distributed to guests at the venue entrance on Friday, June 30 just prior to the event start, free of charge. Programs list the names of graduates receiving Associate in Arts Degrees, early candidates for summer degree conferral, and Certificates of Achievement.
 
  • Time: Guests should plan to be in their seats by 5:30 p.m. (5:45 p.m. at the latest).  
  • Seats: Seating is first come, first served. 
  • Mobility-Impaired: Please request special accommodations in advance. Submit accommodations request to the President's Office.
  • Strollers: The venue is stroller and wheelchair friendly.
  • Pets: No animals (other than service animals) are permitted.
  • Restrooms: Restrooms are available onsite, all are wheelchair accessible. 
  • Last-Minute Goodies: Student clubs will be providing water, flowers, and other items for sale with proceeds going to fund student scholarships. 
  • The ceremony will be held rain or shine, unless in the event of severe weather. Severe weather is defined as rain accompanied by high wind, thunder, and lightning.
  • If it is raining on the morning of Commencement but has not been declared as severe weather, the ceremony will be held as planned outdoors on the soccer field. 
  • If the weather is a concern for you or a member of your party, the ceremony will be live-streamed on this webpage and on YouTube.  

Graduation Day Parking

  • On Friday, June 30, all central campus roads, including those surrounding the venue, will be open and parking is first come, first served. Signs and college staff will direct vehicles to these and other available parking areas. Parking is free of charge. 
  • Upon advance request, the President’s Office will provide a Mobility-Impaired Parking Permit for vehicles with a mobility impaired guest. This permit will allow parking at a specific location at the main parking lot depending on your needs. The college does not have wheelchairs available for use. 
  • Disabled parking is available at the venue, however, spaces are limited. Special seating arrangements will be included. Note: Mobility-Impaired Parking Permits are not the same as a state-issued "handicap" permit/tag. Mobility impaired guests, whether they own a state "handicap" tag/permit or not, should apply for a Mobility Impaired Parking Permit if they would like special parking and seating accommodations. Email president@ltcc.edu for more information.

General ceremony program:

  • The ceremony will last approximately two hours.  
  • The procession will begin promptly at 6pm! 
  • After the program (including speeches from students, LTCC's president, and a guest speaker), each graduate goes on stage as their name is read. 
  • Professional photographs are taken as the graduate is congratulated. 
  • The event ends with a recessional. 
  • The ceremony will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend.
  • We will provide live American Sign Language Interpretation and are working on having live captioning.  
  • You can make a digital request for accommodations at graduation.

Students  

  • Arrive early (around 5pm) to find a parking spot close to the venue.
  • Make sure you wear your regalia – cap, gown, and tassel.  
  • Fill out your name card.  
  • Go to the last row of parking closest to the soccer field, get your last-minute needs taken care of, and line up for the ceremony. 
  • As the music and ceremony begins, prepare to walk toward the soccer field seating. Follow the directions of staff and marshals to get to your seat.  
  • You will be directed to the stage. Please hand your name card to Vice President of Student Services Dr. Michelle Batista.  
  • You will proceed to the stage, receive your diploma cover, and then exit the stage back to your seat.
  • If your name is commonly mispronounced, please submit a Name Coach recording before June 21! NameCoach is a simple way to record audio name pronunciations that are embedded online to easily learn and remember how to say them.
  • Following the Commencement ceremony, guests are encouraged to remain in their seats until all graduates have left the venue. Graduates are greeted and congratulated by LTCC’s faculty, staff, and administrators immediately following the ceremony together as one group for a ‘send off.' Following the processional line, guests are encouraged to meet their graduate outside of the venue for photos.