The College of Southern Nevada will hold two graduation ceremonies on Monday, May 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center to better accommodate the college’s large graduating classes.
With 3,830 graduates earning 3,906 degrees and certificates this year, based on preliminary data, the Class of 2023 is one of the largest in college history. Official numbers for spring 2023 will be available once grades are final. In the last decade, CSN has seen more than 25,000 students earn their degrees and certificates and go on to fuel the growth and diversification of the Southern Nevada economy.
Student Commencement Speaker Aerin Shaylie Agbilay will be a highlight of the ceremony. Originally from Hawaii, she is a CSN High School student — she earns college and high school credit simultaneously via CSN classes — who will receive her associate degree one week before she receives her high school diploma. She plans on attending UNLV.
“We are not earning our degrees on a silver platter; we have worked for it beyond measure, and we’ve grown and changed over our time here,” she will tell graduates at the ceremony. “Life will always make us struggle for what we want. But we have support systems here, our friends, our family, our faculty. They are proud of you. I am proud of you.”
In addition, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and Nevada Secretary of State Francisco V. Aguilar are scheduled to deliver the keynote speeches at the two ceremonies: Ford in the morning and Aguilar in the afternoon. Board of Regents Chair Byron Brooks is also scheduled to address the morning ceremony, with Regent Michelee Cruz-Crawford in the afternoon.
More than 90 percent of CSN’s graduates remain in Nevada after graduation, electing to either continue their education by transferring to a four-year institution or join the workforce and fuel the region’s economy.
Yvette Machado is a first-generation, Indigenous-Latinx student, and a proud daughter of migrants from Ecuador and Guatemala. Serving as Student Body President for the 2022-2023 academic year, she has been a pioneer for students of diverse backgrounds and students who struggle with under representation in Higher Education. Yvette’s advocacy has left an impact throughout her time at CSN. Yvette received the 2023 Sam Lieberman Regents’ Award for Student Scholarship from the Nevada Board of Regents.
Student Commencement Speaker Aerin Shaylie Agbilay will be a highlight of the ceremony. Originally from Hawaii, she is a CSN High School student — she earns college and high school credit simultaneously via CSN classes — who will receive her associate degree one week before she receives her high school diploma. She plans on attending UNLV. She will attend and speak at both ceremonies.
Marisol Pulido calls her parents and the people she’s met at CSN her inspiration. Graduating with an Associate of Business degree, she said enrolling at CSN gave her a chance to “recover” from an unkind freshman year at a university. “Your failures do not define you,” she said. “It is how you come back up and learn from said failures that do.” She plans on starting at UNLV in the fall. She will attend the 5 p.m. ceremony.
Zachary Fried studied in CSN’s award-winning videography and film program and will graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree. Taking baby steps is the key to getting where you want to go, he said. He called CSN’s videography and film program a powerhouse program that should be widely known. He will attend the 10 a.m. ceremony.
Ariane Wolf first enrolled 22 years ago, and she’s finally graduating this year with an Associate of Applied Science degree in commercial photography. She’s proof that sometimes life can change your path, but the with hard work, you can get where you want to go. “Stay focused and keep pushing forward,” she said, “no matter how long it takes.” She will attend the 5 p.m. ceremony
