North Central’s Commencement ceremony featured in Naperville Sun and Positively Naperville

The College’s 158th ceremony welcomed 701 undergrad and graduate students to cross the ceremonial stage

North Central College celebrated its graduating Class of 2023 with a Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 7. The College welcomed Dr. Carmen Ayala, former superintendent for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) as this year’s Commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient. As a visionary leader and equity-driven educator, she oversaw more than 850 districts across the state, serving more than two million students. She was the first woman and first person of color to serve as the permanent superintendent. During her tenure at ISBE, Ayala led nearly 4,000 schools through the COVID-19 pandemic, which included the implementation of remote education and the safe return of students to classrooms.

This year’s graduating class included 579 graduates who received their bachelor’s degrees, and 122 graduates who received their master’s degrees. Of the total 701 graduates, 258 were first-generation college students; 236 graduates who came in as transfer students; 271 graduated with honors; and 13 graduates were international students representing seven different countries.

The special day was featured in the Naperville Sun and Positively Naperville.