For the second spring in a row, AACC graduates will trade walking across a stage for driving around Ring Road on graduation day. 

The college, which has been mostly closed since March 2020 because of the pandemic, will host a “car-mencement” at 10 a.m. on May 27 rather than a traditional commencement ceremony. 

Dr. John Grabowski, the dean of enrollment services, said the decision will protect the health and safety of AACC students and their families.  

“[AACC] has adopted the guiding principle of health and safety first through the pandemic, and we determined that an in-person, across–the–stage commencement ceremony was still too risky,” Grabowski said. “We [made] these decisions in January [and] February, and the parade is in May, and so based on the information we had then, we decided we’re going to be safe.” 

Grabowski described the commencement ceremony as a “parade backwards,” with the graduates riding down the middle of the road and faculty, staff and well-wishers cheering from the sides.  

“I think it was the right call to do a graduation ceremony like a car parade,” Student Government Association President Ryan Kim, who is graduating with a transfer studies degree, said. “It’s kind of disappointing to not be on stage, but I think for the safety of all the students or the parents or the guardians, this is a thing that I definitely agree with and support.” 

Some students, like Kayleigh Katzenberger, a second-year transfer studies student, said she will not attend the car commencement because it won’t be a traditional ceremony. 

“I am glad they’re giving graduating students something, but with all the other options that other schools are doing, I feel like they could have done better,” Katzenberger said. “That’s the whole reason why I ended up not signing up for graduation.”  

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