KEENE, NH – Keene State College’s commencement ceremony is set for this weekend.

KSC’s graduation typically happens a bit earlier than other institutions within the University System of New Hampshire. It’s set for this Saturday, May 4th, at 1 pm. Paul Miller, Communications Director at the college says it’ll be held in the Fiske Quad in the center of campus rain or shine, and there’s room for about six or seven people per graduate.

Parking for the event will be in the school’s Winchester Street lot starting at 9:30 Saturday morning. A shuttle will be running to drop guests off at Appian Way until about 12:45. Handicap parking will be available in the Science Center parking lot with a shuttle as well. All other lots except for the one in Fiske Quad are open also.

There are no road closures for the event, but Miller said there will be ample signs instructing visitors where to park. Drivers should be alert for heavy foot and vehicle traffic.

There will be a few honors and awards presented during the ceremony. That includes the Granite State Award, which is “presented annually to a person, agency, corporation, or foundation that demonstrates outstanding achievement in their field and contributes significantly to the welfare or success of the state,” according to the school’s website.

This year’s recipients of the Granite State Award are Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, authors and founders of the Daily Good, a nonprofit that provides free, culturally responsive Global Foods Pantries at Keene State College, Antioch University of New England, and River Valley Community College.

Alum Marcus Soutra, class of 2006, will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree.

“He’s quite an accomplished individual,” Miller said in a phone call with WKBK. “He’s done groundbreaking work and visionary advancements in the field of learning and learning advancements.”

Soutra graduated from Keene State with a degree in social studies and secondary education and worked as a public-school teacher before joining a group called Eye to Eye.

“He became the group’s first official staff member and, as co-founder and president, built Eye to Eye into a national organization with the mission to improve the educational experience and outcomes of neurodiverse young people, while engaging them and their allies in the movement for a more equitable and inclusive society,” the website says.

“His inspiration for the nonprofit he started was because of learning challenges he had as a child,” Miller said.

The Leo F. Redfern Outstanding Citizenship award will be presented to one of the nearly 600 graduates, but that’s kept secret until the ceremony.

“It’s an exciting time on campus, and we’re hoping that commencement, like so many of them, is everything it should be which is celebratory, peaceful, spirit-filled, and family focused,” Miller said.

Other upcoming graduations in the region include Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, which is set to hold their commencement ceremony on May 11th.

 

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