A total of 650 graduating seniors participated in a split ceremony, (at 11 a.m. and 3 pm.) on Sunday, May 16 at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.

  • Group of five female graduates in blue gowns and orange-trimmed stoles walking together outdoors on a tree-lined path at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium during Hope College's split commencement ceremony on May 16.
  • A group of graduating seniors dressed in navy blue caps and gowns walk together outside on a sidewalk, some smiling and waving.
  • Graduating seniors in blue gowns and caps with orange stoles gather and celebrate outdoors at the Ray and Sue Smith Stadium during Hope College's commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16.
  • Graduating seniors in blue gowns and caps with orange tassels are seated on a grassy lawn with trees, maintaining social distancing during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on May 16.
  • Graduating seniors in blue gowns and caps stand with their arms outstretched, participating in Hope College's commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium, surrounded by green trees and spring foliage.
  • A speaker wearing academic regalia stands at a podium with the Hope College seal, addressing the audience during the graduation ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Several flags are visible in the background.
  • Graduating seniors in blue gowns and caps stand spaced apart on a green lawn at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium during Hope College's commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16. Empty chairs are scattered among the students, and two "Keeping Hope" banners hang from a lamppost.
  • A graduating senior wearing a blue graduation gown with orange trim, extending their arms outward. The gown has the Hope College emblem near the bottom.
  • A close-up side profile of a graduating senior in a blue cap with a gold "21" tassel at Hope College's commencement ceremony.
  • Graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns stand in a line outside a stone building, smiling and holding cords during Hope College's commencement ceremony. One student in the foreground wears a gold stole with "Asian Student Union" embroidered on it.
  • Close-up of a graduating senior in a navy blue and orange graduation gown using red-handled scissors to cut a blue cord during the split ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16.
  • Graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns with orange accents stand in a line, smiling and holding a blue rope during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on May 16.
  • Four graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns smile and laugh together while holding and cutting a blue ribbon, with trees in the background.
  • A person in academic regalia stands at a podium with arms raised, addressing graduates wearing caps and gowns. The ceremony is taking place outdoors in front of a stone building, with other speakers and musicians on stage. Colorful flower arrangements decorate the stage.
  • Graduating seniors in blue gowns and caps stand in rows on a grassy field, holding programs during a commencement ceremony at Hope College. A person in the foreground conducts the event, with a keyboard and sheet music visible.
  • Graduating seniors in blue gowns with orange trim stand with their eyes closed and hands outstretched during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16.
  • Seven male graduates in navy blue gowns and stoles stand together smiling on a grassy area in front of a stone building at Hope College.
  • A group of graduating seniors in blue gowns and caps stand in a line for a photo while a man in academic regalia takes their picture at Hope College's Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on May 16. Surrounding them are other graduates and empty chairs on a green lawn.
  • A group of graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns, along with a faculty member in academic regalia, smile and pose together outdoors at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium during Hope College's split graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 16.
  • Three graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns, two facing away and one facing the camera, adjust their caps during the 2021 Hope College commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A group of graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns stand closely together, smiling alongside a man in academic regalia, during the 2021 commencement ceremony at Hope College's Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A group of graduating seniors in navy blue caps and gowns with orange stoles sit in an outdoor stadium during their commencement ceremony.
  • A graduating senior in a blue cap and gown speaks into a microphone during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16.
  • Graduating seniors sit in socially distanced rows at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium during Hope College's split commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16. They are wearing navy blue caps and gowns with orange stoles, and some have colorful sashes. The stadium seats in the background are filled with spectators.
  • Graduating seniors in caps and gowns stand and clap during a split ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16. Rows of socially distanced graduates are visible on the football field, with chairs arranged in neat lines.
  • A graduating senior in a cap and gown speaks at a podium during the split ceremony at Hope College’s Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16.
  • A speaker in academic regalia stands at a podium with a microphone, addressing the audience during Hope College's commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A speaker in academic regalia stands at a podium during the Hope College graduation ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium, addressing the graduating seniors on Sunday, May 16.
  • Graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns with orange accents stand in line during a commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. One graduate is waving while others look on, with a podium and colorful floral arrangement in the foreground.
  • A graduating senior wearing a cap and gown, along with a black face mask that says "100% HUMAN," at Hope College's commencement ceremony on May 16 at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A graduating senior in cap and gown, wearing a colorful stole, smiles while holding her diploma. She stands near a podium with a bouquet of flowers in the foreground, and other graduates in caps and gowns are lined up behind her. The ceremony takes place outdoors in Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A graduating senior in a blue cap and gown with orange accents holds a diploma and smiles while looking to the side during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16.
  • A graduating senior in a blue cap and gown, holding a diploma, walks across the stage at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. A faculty member in academic regalia accompanies the student. Other graduates and faculty members are visible in the background.
  • Graduates in blue caps and gowns receive their diplomas and exchange fist bumps with a faculty member in regalia during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A graduating senior in a blue cap and gown smiles while holding a diploma during a ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A speaker in academic regalia stands at a podium addressing graduates in blue gowns during one of Hope College's split graduation ceremonies at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on May 16.
  • Graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns stand in line and walk across a stage decorated with flowers to receive their diplomas during a commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A graduating senior in a blue cap and gown receives her diploma from a faculty member during the Hope College commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Other graduates and attendees are visible in the background.
  • A graduating senior in a blue cap and gown with orange trim smiles while shaking hands with a faculty member in academic regalia during a commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Other graduates are seen lined up in the background.
  • A graduating senior in a navy blue cap and gown, wearing a multicolored sash that reads "LATINX GRAD," claps during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Other graduates are seen clapping in the background.
  • Graduating seniors in caps and gowns celebrate at the Hope College commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. A student in the foreground is laughing joyfully with her head tilted back.
  • Two graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns smile and look at a diploma during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16. One wears a colorful stole, and a third person in casual attire is in the background.
  • Four graduating seniors in navy blue caps and gowns are celebrating together and posing for a photo at the split ceremony on Sunday, May 16 at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. One of them is holding her arm up enthusiastically.
  • Two graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns share a joyful hug on the field of Ray and Sue Smith Stadium, surrounded by other graduates and attendees during Hope College's commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16.
  • Three graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns embrace each other joyfully during the commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium on Sunday, May 16.
  • Two graduating seniors in blue caps and gowns smile for a photo at Hope College's commencement ceremony on May 16, held at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. One of the graduates is wearing a Black Student Union stole.
  • A group of seven people, including a graduating senior in a cap and gown, stand together smiling under the Hope College arch on the campus grounds, with a historic stone building in the background.
  • Three graduating seniors in blue gowns and orange stoles stand in front of a Hope College sign, smiling.

Related News

Campus Life

Commencement 2021 Photo Gallery

A total of 650 graduating seniors participated in a split ceremony, (at 11 a.m. and 3 pm.) on Sunday, May 16 at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.

Campus Life

Annual Golf Outing Is June 14

Returning this summer after a year off due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Hope College golf outing, the “Bob DeYoung Hope Classic,” will be held on Monday, June 14, at Ravines Golf Club in Saugatuck.