Central College is planning to recognize its Class of 2020 with an in-person commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium. Commencement scheduled in May was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will be livestreamed and available beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 27.
“Commencement is the pinnacle event in the life of a college. The only other time in the college’s history when a commencement ceremony was not held in the spring was 1930 due to the small pox pandemic,” says Mark Putnam, Central’s president. “We are pleased to welcome the Central Class of 2020 back to campus for this celebration of their achievements during the past four years.”
The ceremony will follow strict physical distancing guidelines and other health recommendations from experts that include the Centers for Disease Control and the Marion County Department of Public Health.
Kellie Gorsche Markey, a 1988 Central graduate, will speak at the ceremony. In 2016, Markey opened Dorothy’s House in Des Moines to serve survivors of human trafficking. Dorothy’s House is a long-term, residential home that provides survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation with the space, resources and support needed to find their healing journey.
Markey will receive the honorary degree Doctor of Public Service at commencement. She received the Central College Alumna Award in 2017 for her exceptional professional accomplishments and contributions to others.
This year Markey also received the Alumni Leadership Award from Iowa Campus Compact. She was nominated by Central. The award is given to an alum of a member institution making strong contributions to their community and demonstrating the values of the civic mission of higher education.
For more information on commencement, visit central.edu/commencement.
