May 2024 commencement by the numbers

41

… commencement ceremonies will be held, in addition to the universitywide event, to celebrate students based on their college, school, department and other affiliations. The ceremonies take place at venues all over campus and Richmond, including the Siegel Center, the Altria Theater, the Virginia War Memorial and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, giving students and their families multiple chances to celebrate. More details about those events are available at commencement.vcu.edu.

2

… students are receiving awards at the main ceremony this year: Xavier Lewis and Niyomi Shah. Every year, the VCU Board of Visitors honors undergraduates who model "outstanding academic achievement, leadership and service to the university and the community at large." Lewis, a member of the Honors College and a first-generation student, is committed to supporting and empowering underprivileged communities, and he has served as event coordinator for the Developing Men of Color student organization and will be its president next year. He volunteers as a translator and helps coach youth basketball. Shah is also an Honors College student with a passion for helping underserved communities. She has taken on leadership roles in several student organizations focused on volunteering and health, including the VCU Rotaract Club, MedLife at VCU and Collective Corazo´n. She tutors students at Open High School and has served as an organic chemistry teaching assistant at VCU and an undergraduate researcher at a VCU School of Medicine lab.

5

… top undergraduate majors for this month's graduates are psychology; biology; business; health, physical education and exercise science; and computer science.