Columbia Celebrates Graduation

Columbia Celebrates Graduation

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Congratulations, Graduates! You did it. Several dedicated years of learning and honing your craft at Columbia College Chicago have transformed you into the career-ready, creative professionals you are today. You are an unstoppable force, ready to take on a world that is waiting for you. Enjoy this special moment and know that we are here cheering you on. We can’t wait to see what you shape next!

  • Winning Photo

    By: Charles Heiter

    commencement-winning-photo-charles-heiter.jpg

    Artist Statement

    “I was heavily inspired by the urban decay around my hometown and used it to push my early interest in short films and photography. After moving to Chicago for college, the city’s unique and varied architecture caught my eye at every turn. It’s structurally beautiful and I spent many hours during the pandemic photographing the city. Within my work, I strive to use unique and odd angles to create new ways to view the environment around me, creating new perspectives to take in the world from. I’ve furthered this idea by abstracting the architecture even more within Photoshop. I flip, copy, paste, and color all parts of the image in order to find the results I desire. These works are often described as alien, otherworldly, or reality bending, but to me it's still Chicago’s architecture just shown in a new way for people to enjoy.”

  • Winning Poem

    By: Sarah Peecher

    feels like
    riding a bike
    down the gravel road
    between fields
    full of coneflower
    periwinkle, goldenrod
    grass, asters. Easy –
    though pedaling is hard
    teeth chattering
    rocks clanking against
    the metal bike frame
    and it’s four miles
    to return home.
    Laying under a locust tree
    surprised by a sudden
    dangling inchworm
    a sticky memory
    sliding down on a brain-string
    making shoulders shiver
    shake.
    Night noises
    whispers and creaks
    still perceptible under
    cellos and piano
    buzzing from a boombox.
    Standing on hot
    asphalt during a
    summer storm
    refreshed by rain
    tingling before lightning
    streaks the clouds
    and running inside to
    wrap up in a beach towel
    fresh from the dryer.
    Fog
    the next morning,
    or the things
    hidden by it
    giants made of mud
    entirely imagined
    yet almost visible.

Student Stories

Each graduating student has a story to tell about their journey. Here are just a few of those stories told to inspire others along their educational path.

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Program

This modified program is intended as a tribute to our students’ accomplishments in completing their programs of study. Hopefully it will also serve as a memento of your shared experiences as members of the graduating class of 2023.

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Photo Gallery

Explore photos from one on of the most memorable commencement ceremonies in our college’s history.

See Ceremony photos
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