Hope College’s 152nd Commencement, celebrating the graduating Class of 2017, was held on Sunday, May 7, at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.

Read coverage of the event and full text of each address 

  • A large group of Hope College graduates dressed in navy blue caps and gowns walk in a procession outdoors on a sunny day, led by faculty members in academic regalia. The pathway is lined with lush green grass and trees with vibrant spring foliage.
  • Graduates in caps and gowns walk down a path lined with faculty members who are clapping, during the Hope College Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Trees and sunlight create a vibrant background.
  • Graduating students in caps and gowns walk in a procession during Hope College's 152nd Commencement ceremony, led by a faculty member in academic regalia. The students are smiling and appear joyful as they move along the path.
  • Graduates in caps and gowns walk in a procession during the Hope College Commencement ceremony, flanked by applauding faculty members in academic regalia. The event takes place outdoors on a sunny day, with green grass and blooming trees in the background.
  • Graduating students in caps and gowns walk in a procession at Hope College’s 152nd Commencement. One student shakes hands with a faculty member dressed in academic regalia. Other graduates are seen smiling in the background with campus buildings and a large sculpture visible behind them.
  • A student carrying a cross stands in front of a large banner with the words "SPERA N DEO" and a red anchor symbol, leading a procession during the Hope College Commencement ceremony. The audience of faculty, families, and other attendees is seated in the background, attentively watching the event.
  • A graduation ceremony at Hope College takes place inside a large chapel with stained glass windows. The image shows a view from the back of the chapel, with rows of seated attendees leading up to a stage where speakers and faculty in academic regalia are seated. A person stands at a podium addressing the audience. The chapel is illuminated softly, enhancing the historic architecture and the colorful stained glass at the front.
  • A group of Hope College graduates in caps and gowns, with one male student in the foreground looking ahead attentively, during the Commencement ceremony of the Class of 2017.
  • A male student wearing a dark blue graduation cap and gown smiles while looking at a fellow graduate during Hope College’s 2017 Commencement ceremony.
  • A woman in academic regalia stands at a wooden podium, delivering a speech. The podium features the seal of Hope College. She is smiling and appears to be addressing an audience in a formal setting.
  • A large group of people stands closely together, singing during a ceremony at Hope College. They are in a chapel with an intricate stained glass window in the background. Some hold papers, likely hymn sheets or programs, while others have their hands clasped. The diverse group includes men and women of various ages, dressed in formal and semi-formal attire.
  • A choir of Hope College students, dressed in colorful robes, sings under the direction of a conductor at the 2017 Commencement ceremony. In the foreground, faculty members in academic regalia are seated, some looking at programs. Stained glass windows are visible in the background.
  • A group of Hope College graduates, dressed in caps and gowns, attentively listen during the 2017 Commencement ceremony. One graduate in the foreground holds a program.
  • A group of Hope College graduates in navy blue caps and gowns stand with their arms around each other, facing away from the camera. In the background, people are gathered on the grass near a stone building, enjoying the sunny day.
  • Three graduates in blue caps and gowns smile and chat, one speaking on her phone, as they gather outdoors on a sunny day during Hope College’s 2017 Commencement.
  • Four graduating students in blue caps and gowns stand together smiling, with other graduates and attendees in the background on a sunny day at Hope College's 152nd Commencement ceremony. The event took place at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium, featuring a speech by Dr. Charles Green.
  • Two graduates in blue caps and gowns laugh and smile during Hope College’s 2017 Commencement ceremony. One is holding a program.
  • A group of six female graduates in navy blue caps and gowns stand together outdoors, smiling and posing for a photo during Hope College’s 152nd Commencement ceremony.
  • Graduates in caps and gowns, along with faculty in academic regalia, walk in procession during Hope College's 152nd Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • Graduates in navy blue caps and gowns are walking together, smiling and talking during Hope College’s 152nd Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. One graduate holds a water bottle and adjusts his cap, while another wears sunglasses. Other graduates are visible in the background.
  • A close-up of a smiling female graduate wearing a blue cap and gown, with a tassel hanging from the cap that has a gold "17" charm, indicating the year 2017. Other graduates in blue caps and gowns are visible in the blurred background, standing on a grassy area under a clear blue sky.
  • A graduating student in a navy blue cap and gown speaks at a podium with two microphones during Hope College’s 152nd Commencement ceremony.
  • Dr. Charles Green, wearing academic regalia, speaks at the podium during Hope College's Commencement ceremony. Two microphones are visible in front of him against a clear blue sky.
  • A student in a graduation cap and gown speaks at a podium with the Hope College seal during the 2017 Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Faculty members in academic regalia are seated in the background.
  • A graduate in a blue cap and gown shakes hands with a faculty member in academic regalia during the Hope College Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Other graduates are visible in the background.
  • A smiling graduate in a blue cap and gown waves during Hope College’s 152nd Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Other graduates and attendees are visible in the background.
  • A student in a blue graduation gown and cap receives a diploma from a faculty member in academic regalia during Hope College’s 152nd Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. The background shows seated graduates and attendees.
  • A large crowd of people, including faculty and graduates in academic regalia, seated at an outdoor commencement ceremony at Hope College's Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Two faculty members are standing and smiling amidst the audience, while others clap and look on. The background is filled with rows of spectators. The scene is lively and celebratory under a sunny sky.
  • A group of Hope College graduates in caps and gowns sit during the 2017 Commencement ceremony. One graduate's cap reads "Trust GOD Proverbs 3:5-6" in gold letters.
  • Graduates and attendees at Hope College's 152nd Commencement hold up cutouts of a man's face on sticks, smiling and celebrating during the outdoor ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A graduate in a blue cap and gown shakes hands with a faculty member in a red academic robe on stage during the Hope College Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Other faculty members and graduates are visible in the background, along with attendees seated on the field and in the stands.
  • Graduates of Hope College's Class of 2017, dressed in blue caps and gowns, sit in rows during the Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. They are smiling and chatting, with one graduate in the foreground wearing glasses and another wearing sunglasses. The atmosphere is celebratory under a clear sky.
  • A smiling graduate in a blue cap and gown receives her diploma from an academic official in a maroon and green robe during Hope College's 2017 Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • A graduating student in a blue cap and gown smiling and holding a diploma walks across the stage at Hope College's 152nd Commencement ceremony. Other graduates and faculty members in academic regalia are visible in the background.
  • A close-up image of Hope College graduates in blue caps and gowns attentively listening during the 2017 Commencement ceremony. The focus is on a serious-looking female graduate, with other graduates slightly out of focus in the background.
  • Graduates in navy blue caps and gowns walk across the stage at Hope College’s Commencement ceremony. One graduate receives her diploma from a faculty member dressed in academic regalia.
  • A graduating student in a navy blue cap and gown smiles and gestures with open arms while holding a diploma cover at Hope College's 152nd Commencement ceremony. Other graduates and attendees can be seen in the background.
  • Graduating students in blue caps and gowns reach out to clasp hands in a gesture of unity and celebration during Hope College’s 2017 Commencement ceremony.
  • A smiling graduate in a blue cap and gown holds her diploma while walking across the stage at Hope College’s 2017 Commencement ceremony. Other graduates are visible in the background.
  • A large crowd of attendees, including students, faculty, families, and other guests, gather in the stands at Hope College’s Ray and Sue Smith Stadium for the 152nd Commencement ceremony. People are standing and appear to be singing together during the event. Graduates in caps and gowns are visible in the foreground.
  • A large group of Hope College graduates from the Class of 2017, dressed in navy blue caps and gowns, stand together at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium during the 152nd Commencement ceremony on a sunny day. The graduates are holding their diplomas and looking towards the front, with a crowded audience visible in the background.
  • Two graduates wearing blue caps and gowns share a joyful moment during Hope College’s 152nd Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. In the background, other graduates and attendees are visible, celebrating the occasion.
  • A group of Hope College faculty members in academic regalia and holding cut-out masks of Dr. John C. Knapp's face, stand together smiling during the 152nd Commencement ceremony at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.
  • Two graduates in blue caps and gowns share a joyful moment during Hope College’s 2017 Commencement ceremony, held outdoors at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium. Other graduates and attendees are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.
  • Two graduates in blue caps and gowns share a heartfelt hug while holding diplomas during the Hope College Class of 2017 Commencement ceremony.

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