Sinclair’s Commencement Features Remarks from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann

Sinclair College celebrated commencement on Sunday, May 7 at the University of Dayton Arena with a record number of women, minorities, and African-American male students graduating.

While the event is a celebration for the students and their families and a reflection of the hard work of the students, faculty, and staff that make up Sinclair, it is also a sign of a tremendous benefit to our community. Sinclair was honored to feature the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, as the commencement speaker. In part because of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s support of the innovative Completion by Design project which seeks to improve college completion rates, Sinclair graduated nearly double the number of degree and certificates from less than ten years ago.

The degrees and certificates awarded to Sinclair’s 4,600 graduates will result in increased earnings and opportunities for these students and their families and help expand the workforce of the Dayton Region. Nearly 90% of Sinclair graduates stay in this community. This is the largest graduating class in the history of Sinclair College (some figures are estimated due to exams and the impact of the upcoming summer semester).

This year’s class represents the latest in a strong line of Sinclair graduating classes. College graduates are dramatically more likely to be employed and make more money over the course of their lives according to local data. 

Some distinguishing features of this year’s class:

• 1,840 students will earn an associate degree – another nearly 3,000 will earn a certificate
• 2,261 women will graduate with a credential
• 627 minority students will graduate with a credential
• 195 African-American males will earn a credential
• 22 students will earn an associate degree and a high school diploma in the same year
• 91 veterans will earn a credential from Sinclair as a part of this year’s class
• 26 students will earn a 4.0 GPA
• The top degrees earned by this year’s graduating class are: Nursing, Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Psychology and Engineering University Transfer

Over 900 students participated in the commencement ceremony.

Sinclair is recognized as a local and national leader in delivering high-quality and affordable higher education. One of the oldest and best known community colleges in the nation, Sinclair was founded in 1887 and is a board member of the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College. Sinclair offers nearly 250 accredited degrees and certificates.