News
July 17, 2023Excelsior Celebrated Its 52nd Commencement and First as a University
Albany, New York— Excelsior University celebrated its 52nd Commencement on Friday, July 14 at 2 p.m. at the MVP Arena in Albany, NY. The commencement celebrated the Class of 2023 and is the first commencement since becoming Excelsior University on August 1, 2022.
This year’s Commencement speaker was Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Gretchen Evans, an author, athlete, and retired Army Command Sergeant Major. In addition to telling her inspirational story, Evans also received an honorary Excelsior University degree. She has a decorated Army career and Evans was the 2022 recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service awarded at the ESPN ESPY Awards and a 2021 inductee of the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame.
Excelsior celebrated its diversity and global representation. The Class of 2023 featured 3,949 graduates from across the world. The graduates represented 49 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico in addition to 20 other nations. A total of 959 graduates were from New York state, including 111 graduates from the Capital Region. The oldest graduate was 82 years young, while the youngest was 11 years old, and the average age of the Class of 2023 was 36 years old. Thirty students earned more than one degree during the academic year.
“We celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of our graduates as well as the determination and perseverance to reach this goal,” said David Schejbal, president of Excelsior University. “Many of our working adult students put their education into practice immediately at their workplace, and their degree can now give them the confidence to advance professional, influence their communities, and impact generations of their family.”
Excelsior University is an accredited, not-for-profit distance learning institution founded in 1971 focused on providing educational opportunity to adult learners.
###
ABOUT EXCELSIOR UNIVERSITY
Excelsior University is an accredited not-for profit online institution based in Albany, NY focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. Excelsior contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on servicing individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are — academically and geographically — removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion.
