NFL Players, UCF Alumni Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin Will Serve as Virtual Commencement Speakers on May 2
By Space Coast Daily // April 20, 2020
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin, National Football League players and University of Central Florida alumni—will serve as commencement speakers at UCF’s spring 2020 virtual commencement ceremonies on May 2.
For this semester’s commencement, UCF will hold virtual ceremonies for each of the university’s colleges, throughout the day, on the university’s Facebook and YouTube pages. During each ceremony, the names of every graduate from that college will be read aloud.
Our commencement speakers need no introduction to Knight Nation.
Identical twins Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin both received their Bachelor of Arts in Human Communication from UCF in 2016.
Growing up, both excelled in football and track, and, of course, went on to play together here at UCF.
Shaquem was a two-year starter at outside linebacker. As a senior in 2017, he helped the team to a 13-0 record, a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Auburn and a National Championship.
He was selected as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Defensive MVP, named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-Conference honoree.
Shaquill was a two-year starter at cornerback for the Knights, earning All-Conference honors in 2016.
His 15 passes broken up as a senior were the second most by a Knight in a single-season and he ranked fifth in the nation in passes defended.
In the 2017 NFL Draft, he was selected 90th overall by the Seattle Seahawks, and was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019. Shaquem joined Shaquill with the Seahawks in 2018 when he was picked by Seattle in the fifth round of the draft.
UCF is inviting alumni, faculty, staff, students, family members, community leaders, corporate partners and friends of this year’s graduates to record and submit a short video message to share with graduating Knights.
A celebration video comprised of well-wishes will be compiled and shared on UCF’s social media.
More than 8,500 degrees are expected to be conferred during the ceremonies, setting a new spring-term record for degrees awarded at UCF.
This semester’s graduates expect to earn approximately 7,160 bachelor’s degrees, 1,245 master’s degrees and 145 doctorates.
UCF continues to be the No. 1 producer of degrees awarded annually among public universities in the nation, based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
The university provides an important talent pipeline for companies throughout our region and state. UCF has awarded nearly 355,000 total degrees since classes began in 1968.
Throughout its history, UCF has taken pride in the diversity of its student body. Nearly half of this spring’s degrees will be awarded to students from traditionally underrepresented communities.
Hispanic students will comprise more than one quarter of all degree recipients. Annually, UCF graduates one of the highest numbers of minorities in the nation.
In order to maintain the health and safety of graduates and their families, UCF—like all other universities in Florida—postponed its in-person spring commencement ceremony earlier this semester.
The university will schedule an in-person ceremony when it is safe to do so. At this time, no decisions have yet been made on the summer 2020 commencement.
A full schedule for UCF’s virtual commencement ceremonies follows:
| Graduate Studies | 8:30 AM |
| Optics and Photonics | 9:00 AM |
| Medicine | 9:45 AM |
| Rosen College of Hospitality Management | 10:30 AM |
| Undergraduate Studies | 11:15 AM |
| Nursing | 12:00 PM |
| Health Professions & Sciences | 12:45 PM |
| Arts and Humanities | 2:00 PM |
| Business | 3:15 PM |
| Engineering and Computer Science | 4:30 PM |
| Community Innovation & Education | 5:45 PM |
| Sciences | 7:00 PM |
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