F&M Stories

Members of Franklin & Marshall College's Class of 2023 will be honored during Commencement May 13 in the College's Alumni Sports & Fitness Center (ASFC).

The in-person ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in the ASFC on the north side of Harrisburg Avenue. Faculty and College leaders will line the walkway outside the center to welcome an estimated 518 seniors proceeding into the ceremony.

This graduating class experienced an academic journey unlike any other, with a global pandemic that unfurled during their first full year on campus. They have emerged as leaders, scholars and humanitarians despite the challenges.

"Don't be put off by what poet Mark Nepo calls 'the discomfort of newness.' Seeking and welcoming newness is the beauty, potential and power of a fine liberal arts education," F&M President Barbara Altmann told students during her August 2019 convocation remarks.

Guest attendance is limited to the graduates and their preregistered guests only. An indoor viewing of the virtual Commencement broadcast will be available at the Ann & Richard Barshinger Center for the Musical Arts; tickets are not required.

The ceremony will be broadcast live through the F&M Commencement website. An on-demand recording of the ceremony will also be available beginning May 24.

Speakers and Honorees

The May 13 ceremony will feature Commencement speaker Jacob Bleacher '00, chief exploration scientist in NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) at the space agency's headquarters. ESMD manages the human exploration system development for lunar orbital, lunar surface and Mars exploration. Bleacher earned his bachelor's degree in geosciences at F&M before earning his doctorate in geological sciences at Arizona State University in 2006.

Honorary degree recipients include Kathleen E. Harring '80 and Carlos Graupera.

President of Muhlenberg College, Harring began her tenure in 2020 after serving as interim president for a year. She is Muhlenberg's 13th president and the first woman to lead the 175-year-old college.

Graupera is the founder and CEO of the Spanish American Civic Association (SACA) in downtown Lancaster. Under his leadership, SACA has grown to serve nearly 1,400 people each year in Lancaster, focusing on behavioral health and wellness, educational services, job placement and home ownership.

Visit the Commencement website for the latest information.

Class of 2023 Fast Facts

• 518 students
• 52 January graduates
• 113 double majors
• 201 with minors
• 124 international students
• 121 first-generation students
• 27 Lancaster County students