(Top row, left to right) Julio Antonio Cortes, Maha Khan, Keslie Carrión, SaDella Duval d'Adrian, (bottom row, left to right) Mary Katherine Pryce, Gautam Bhoyrul and Lauren Lloyd are this year's student commencement speakers. (Composite by Carrie Emge, photos courtesy of student commencement speakers)
Imagine standing in front of thousands of people and delivering a speech that celebrates the Class of 2023's many accomplishments. That scenario might sound too intimidating for most, but 56 DePaul students answered the call for nominations from the Office of Academic Events. Today, the university is proud to announce seven student speakers for this May and June's commencement ceremonies.
The College of Law will honor its graduates May 20 at The Chicago Theatre, while the other nine colleges will take over Wintrust Arena during the weekend of June 10-11. In addition to speeches from DePaul President Robert L. Manuel, Provost Salma Ghanem, deans and notable guests, each ceremony will feature a student speaker who is a campus, community and academic leader. These speakers will take the stage to deliver their message of inspiration or encouragement to supporters including family, friends and DePaul community members.
This year's student commencement speakers are:
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SaDella Duval d'Adrian, College of Law: Duval d'Adrian is the president of the college's Student Bar Association. Prior to attending the College of Law, she earned an English degree from the University of Arizona, held leadership roles in multiple retail companies and started her own business.
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Gautam Bhoyrul, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business: While at DePaul, Bhoyrul has served as an orientation leader and captain of Chicago Fire's Unified team, where he helped special-needs athletes achieve their goals. Following graduation, Gautam plans to continue his work at Myers-Holum and Olde Del Mar Surgical while also assisting local businesses with their marketing strategies.
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Keslie Carrión, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media: A first-generation American with family roots in the Dominican Republic, Carrión will be the first member of their family to earn a college diploma. Carrión served in the military for a decade before enrolling at DePaul and is a strong advocate for accessibility within tech. After graduation, Carrión plans to work with people with disabilities and jointly find ways for all people to partake in technology and gaming.
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Julio Antonio Cortes, College of Education: A martial arts and marksmanship instructor in the U.S. Marines, Cortes became a social worker before enrolling at DePaul, where he has studied physical education. Cortes plans to use his passion for physical and mental health to help young people thrive.
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Maha Khan, College of Science and Health: After she graduates from DePaul with a degree in health sciences, Khan hopes to attend medical school and become an endocrinologist. She also plans to work as a medical scribe for a tele-psychiatry network in the United States.
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Lauren Lloyd, Driehaus College of Business: Combining a love of service, event planning, photography and entrepreneurship, Lloyd is set to begin a manager and training program through Marriott International. At DePaul, she served as a School of Hospitality ambassador and resident advisor.
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Mary Katherine Pryce, School of Continuing and Professional Studies: Pryce first attended DePaul 20 years ago in what was then the School for New Learning. After raising three children and working in merchandising and demand planning, Pryce returned to DePaul in 2022 to complete a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership.
For more information about commencement, tickets, directions to the arena and parking information, please visit the
commencement website. For commencement coverage on social media, follow DePaulU and DePaul_News on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Saturday, May 20
College of Law
Student speaker: SaDella Duval d'Adrian, College of Law
Ceremony hours: 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., doors open at 10 a.m.
Location: The Chicago Theatre
Livestream
Saturday, June 10
Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media and The Theatre School
Student speaker: Keslie Carrión, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Ceremony hours: 8 - 10:30 a.m., doors open at 7 a.m.
Location: Wintrust Arena
Livestream
College of Communication and the College of Education
Student speaker: Julio Antonio Cortes, College of Education
Ceremony hours: 1 - 3:30 p.m., doors open at noon
Location: Wintrust Arena
Livestream
College of Science and Health and the School of Music
Student speaker: Maha Khan, College of Science and Health
Ceremony hours: 6 - 8:30 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m.
Location: Wintrust Arena
Livestream
Sunday, June 11
Driehaus College of Business (Undergraduate only)
Student speaker: Lauren Lloyd, Driehaus College of Business
Ceremony hours: 8 - 10:30 a.m., doors open at 7 a.m.
Location: Wintrust Arena
Livestream
Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
Student speaker: Gautam Bhoyrul, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
Ceremony hours: 1 - 3:30 p.m., doors open at noon
Location: Wintrust Arena
Livestream
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Student speaker: Mary Katherine Pryce, School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Ceremony hours: 6 - 8:30 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m.
Location: Wintrust Arena
Livestream
Russell Dorn is a manager of news and integrated content in University Communications.