Kolbe Academy is hosting an in-person and online commencement ceremony for the Class of 2024 on Thursday, May 23 at 11:00 AM EST. Please register here to attend the event in person or online! An event schedule, cap & gown information, and other details will be sent to you in a confirmation email after you register.
 

DEADLINE FOR GRADS TO REGISTER: May 19, 2024. If you are attending the virtual ceremony and would like a diploma cover and tassel to be mailed to you in advance of the ceremony, you must register by May 5, 2024 to receive these by mail in time.

 

Georgia Event

In-person Event: The in-person event will take place at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church in Peachtree Corners, GA. Baccalaureate mass will be held on Wednesday, May 22. After commencement, a cake & punch reception will be hosted by Kolbe Academy. Faculty, students, parents, and guests are all welcome to attend the event in Georgia.

Online Event

Online Event: Class of 2024 students may participate virtually, if they are unable to join us for the in-person event in Georgia. Faculty, students, parents, and guests are also welcome to attend virtually.

 

Schedule for Commencement Activities

Wednesday, May 22nd:

 

For more details on the Leaders in Catholic Education Fundraising Dinner, please see this page.

 

 

Commencement Speaker

 

Monsignor James Shea, President - University of Mary

Monsignor Shea has served as the sixth president of the university since 2009. He is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota. He grew up on a dairy farm near Hazelton, North Dakota. He earned a bachelor's degree and a licentiate in philosophy as a Basselin Fellow in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, later studying theology at the Gregorian and Lateran universities in Rome. Upon completion of his seminary formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Msgr. Shea was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Bismarck in 2002.

 

Hotel Room Block

Kolbe Academy has reserved a block of rooms at IHG Crown Plaza Atlanta NE - Norcross. Rates start at $129. All rooms include breakfast. To ensure you receive the discounted rate, please book your room(s) as soon as possible.

 

Diploma

Participating in our commencement ceremony is a separate process from graduating. Please see the Graduation Application Process Article for more information on the graduation process. Students do not need to have completed all of their coursework to join us for the commencement event. Students have until the end of 2024 to meet their diploma requirements and can still "walk" in the ceremony.

To graduate and receive a diploma, the student must complete all requirements of the degree program and submit a Graduation Application (previously called Diploma Request). It may be several weeks before you receive the diploma in the mail. For students who have ceremonies prior to receiving their actual diploma, we suggest using a diploma cover.

 

Slideshow

When you begin the event registration form, please be prepared to upload your child's senior picture or another formal photograph of your student for use in the slideshow that is played prior to the ceremony. Files must be less than 100 MB.

 

Along with the picture we will share your student's name and post-graduation plans, so you'll want to have that information handy to complete the application. If your child is unsure, "undecided" or noting one or two possible options are acceptable answers. You may contact us up until May 17th if plans change and you would like your senior's slide updated.

 

Senior Spotlight & Student Speaker

This APPLICATION FORM should be used to apply for a

Senior Spotlight and/or Student Commencement Speaker

 

Senior Spotlight

We want to shine a light on the accomplishments & adventures of our senior class. If your senior might be interested in sharing their achievements or exciting future plans, please apply here. Our spotlights may be featured in social media, on the Kolbe Academy website, blog, or podcast, or through other avenues. Please include information, photographs, or other media you would be happy to share with the wider Kolbe community and publicly through external channels. Kolbe Academy is proud to spotlight our amazing seniors!

 

Student Commencement Speaker

Do you enjoy public speaking or have words of wisdom you want to share with your classmates? We hope you will apply to be our student speaker at graduation! We're currently accepting applications to be our student speaker for the commencement ceremony. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and should submit a writing sample and a speaking sample to using this form. The deadline to apply for Student Commencement Speaker is Wednesday, May 3, 2024.
 

Award & Honor Cords

Honor cords will be provided for students who have earned awards. These awards are only open to students pursuing the new diploma. A student's first semester grades from senior year must be on record no later than May 4, 2024 for us to confirm a student's eligibility to be awarded a cord to wear at the commencement ceremony. First-semester portfolios submitted after April 14th cannot be expedited for the purpose of cords at the commencement ceremony. If a student earns the awards, they will still receive cords but it may be after the ceremony. You will be asked to upload your student's award review sheet(s). These sheets are available for download at the bottom of the High School Awards Help Center Article.