Lavender graduations are ceremonies conducted to honor LGBTQ+ and allied students that are graduating and to acknowledge achievements and contributions made on their campuses and in their communities.
Kenyon annually invites LGBTQ+ and allied students to be recognized and celebrated at an event prior to the College's Commencement Weekend in May. Lavender cords are provided, and they are recognized as a part of the College’s official graduation regalia.
Lavender Graduation 2025
This year's Lavender Graduation Ceremony will take place April 24 at 4:15 p.m. in the Community Foundation Theater in the Gund Gallery.
Students, faculty, staff and families were all welcome to attend the event.
Registering for Lavender Graduation
Registration for Lavender Graduation is open to Kenyon’s LGBTQ+ and allied students. At the ceremony, the names and pronouns of each registrant are read aloud. As with other programs from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, students are able to self-select participation in the program, in addition to the name and pronouns they would like to have read.
If you are a graduating LGBTQ+ senior who does not wish to have their name listed and/or read in the official program, please reach out to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as you are still entitled to graduation regalia from Lavender Graduation. At each year’s ceremony, we also publicly acknowledge that not every graduating LGBTQ+ senior is recognized in the public program, but we still celebrate them and their achievements.
Registration information will be shared before next year's ceremony.
LGBTQ+ Service Awards
Each year at Lavender Graduation, we recognize outstanding work done on behalf of Kenyon’s LGBTQ+ community. Please refer to the awards below and consider nominating someone for one or more of these honors. Information about the nomination process will be shared via email with the campus community.
Each year at Lavender Graduation, we recognize outstanding work done on behalf of Kenyon’s LGBTQ+ community. Please refer to the awards below and consider nominating someone for one or more of these honors. Information about the nomination process will be shared via email with the campus community.
Outstanding Advocacy Award
This award recognizes an individual or student organization that has worked collaboratively with LGBTQ+ organizations on campus or community partners to advocate for a better community for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Kenyon PRIDE Senior Leader Award
This award recognizes a LGBTQ+ senior who exemplifies the qualities of empathy, community building and exceptional student leadership.
Rising Star Award
This award recognizes a first or second year student who has made exceptional efforts to bring visibility, support, and leadership to the LGBTQ+ community at Kenyon.
Faculty/Staff Advocate Award
This award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has worked to create a more inclusive campus climate for LGBTQ+ faculty, staff and students.
Trailblazer Award
This award recognizes a faculty member, staff member or alumnus who has made monumental strides to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion, equity and visibility at Kenyon.
Outstanding Departmental Ally Award
This award recognizes a department that has provided ongoing support to the mission of LGBTQ+ inclusion and equity at the college in the current academic year.
Outstanding Community Partner Award
This award recognizes a community partner (i.e. a community organization, non-profit organization, etc.) that has provided ongoing support to the mission of LGBTQ+ inclusion and equity at the college in the current academic year.
Past recipients of LGBTQ+ Service Awards are listed below by year, and when applicable, there is a note about the inaugural recipient of each award. Currently, we are also working to upload data from the first two years of this ceremony, and when available, this list will be updated.
Outstanding Advocacy Award
2021: Rory Dreyfus
2020: Micah Fisher
2019: Unity House
Kenyon PRIDE Senior Leader Award
2021: Jonathan Hernandez and Toby McCabe
2020: Teddy Hannah-Drullard
2019: Masen Coluccui and Cat March
Rising Star Award
2021: Ocean Wei
2020: Micah Smith
2019: Ceci Rodriguez
Faculty/Staff Advocate Award
2021: Rhea Debussy
2020: Rachel Kessler
2019: Heather Petersen and Abbie Erler
Trailblazer Award
2021: Densil Porteous
2020: Rhea Debussy
2019: John Schoefield
Outstanding Departmental Ally Award
2021: Office for Civil Rights
2020: Gund Gallery
2019: Cox Health and Counseling Center
Outstanding Community Partner Award
2021: Equitas Health (inaugural recipient)
Nominate an organization or individual for an LGBTQ+ Service Award.
New Ceremony Honors Members of LGBTQ+ Community
Read about Kenyon's first Lavender Graduation ceremony, which took place on April 19, 2017.