Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is proud to welcome the Class of 2024 as our newest alumni cohort! Friday’s warm and sunny weather greeted our BFA, BA, and AA graduates in a celebration of years of hard work and creative expansion. 

Watch Commencement 2024 below

Commencement Speakers Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, authors of When You Wonder, You’re Learning, engaged the audience in asking many of the same questions Fred Rogers asked in his award-winning show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, and encouraged the new graduates to always lead and infuse their work with kindness, with empathy, and with heart.  

Medals of Honor: Becky Ault and Mike Cunningham, Cofounders of ART Research Enterprises. ART is a leading producer of fine art casting and fabrication for artists, museums, architects, and corporations around the world. Their work in the conservation and restoration of art and architectural objects ensures  these critical works are enjoyed by future generations. 

Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts: Poet, publisher, and teacher Le Hinton. Hinton is the award-winning author of seven collections of poetry; his work has been selected for Best American Poetry, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, and his poem “Our Ballpark” is incorporated into the sculpture at the entrance to the Lancaster City baseball stadium. He is the editor of the literary magazine Fledgling Rag and is the publisher of both Iris G. and I. Giraffe Press. 

Distinguished Alumna: Megan Caruso ’08, Graphic Design. She is best known as the creative director and co-owner of The Burg magazine and president and cofounder of the non-profit Sprocket Mural Works, spanning both Harrisburg and York cities. 

Trustees’ Award for Faculty Excellence: William Mammarella, Foundation Chair

Trustees’ Award for Staff Excellence: Amy Gaston, Executive Assistant to the President and Secretary of the Corporation. 

Student Commencement Speaker: Gavin Goss, Illustration 

Departmental Awards

Animation & Game Art: Francisco Maldonado Martinez

Fine Art: Alivia Haltom

Graphic Design: Cleo Kendrick

Illustration: Kelby Weaver

Photography & Video: Cameren White

Liberal Arts: Charles Beach

Award for Academic Excellence (highest GPA): Hannah Aust, Cleo Kendrick, Sophia Phillips

Mary Colleen Heil Vanguard Award: Austin Taylor

Founders’ Award for Excellence in Leadership: Mak Sherrid

Degrees

Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees were conferred upon:

Animation & Game Art: Christy Cecelia Benedek, McKenna Rose DiComo, Mackenzie Elizabeth Dowell, Heather Naomi Faw, Allen Jasper Hahn, Isabelle Karol, Bee Elizabeth Knisely, Francisco Luise Maldonado Martinez, Abraham Joel Pena Puleo, Lily Mae Smulling.

Fine Art: Mason Miles Butler, Ceanna Rita Davis, Megan Anne Einolf, Alivia Renee Katelin Haltom, Thorne Daniel Havener, Kayla Elizabeth Smith, Sherrie Marie Snyder, Nicole E. Wesoloski.

Graphic Design: Amanda Kaiyu Choong, Rachael Leigh Clough, Leonard Dickson, Maliyah K. Gregg, Bahir Husaidan Harris, Kendall J. Harris-Burton, Cleo Marcella Kendrick, Alisdair MacKenzie, Ryan Robert Makowski, Alex Grey Maxwell, Jasir Mekhi Moody-Awo, Sophia Wren Phillips, Alyssa Gabrielle Rulli, Auston Christopher Taylor. 

Illustration: Charles Henry Beach, Dominique Eve Bryson, Nicholas Joseph Casso, Jenna Marie Eberly, Nova Estes, Gray M. Ford, Gavin McKain Goss, Jasmin Marie Grate, Erica Teressa Haas, Alexis Grace Howe, Gregory Lavont Johnson Jr., Tatiana Elizabeth Kauffman, Alaina Beatrix Pierson Masi, Blair Miller-Terrell, Kayleigh Frances Nesson, Jonathan Quinn Shelor, Mak C. Sherrid, Silas Shoop, Blake Sipe, Allyssa Sowden, Lauren Christina Ulmer, Kelby Matthew Weaver, Lauren Elizabeth Wood. 

Photography & Video: Hannah Lynn Aust, Jenna Catherine Cervone, Amanda Leona Florance Hatch, Alexander Jonathan Smith, Cameren Angel White. 

Associate of Art degrees were conferred upon the following students, all of whom earned their degrees in Design Thinking with a (Concentration):

Leslie Bosch (Illustration), Vic Jean Brenner (Illustration), Grey Lynnlee Brown (Animation & Game Art), Logan Lorne Byer (Graphic Design), Evan Andrew Eberhard (Illustration), Bianca Nicole Garcia (Illustration), Amanda Rose Haak (Graphic Design), Cassandra Puah Richardson (Illustration), Brianna Elizabeth Shindledecker (Animation & Game Art), McKenzie Lynn Smith (Fine Art), Ashley Marie Vazquez (Photography & Video), Kayla Nicole Wright (Illustration). 

Bachelor of Art degrees were conferred upon the following students, all of whom earned their degrees in Design Thinking with a (Concentration):

Keyron Andre Crummel (Illustration and Photography & Video), April Marie Davenport (Fine Art and Graphic Design), Zihide Michael Fields (Graphic Design and Illustration), Nathaniel Samuel Lawrence (Graphic Design and Illustration), Nycea Qurana Morris-Hayes (Graphic Design and Illustration), Nandley Noel (Graphic Design and Illustration).