Commencement Celebrations
hosted by
La CASA center and Latino Alumni Association
Established in 1972, the Commencement Celebrations honor 450 graduating students’ personal and academic achievements. The Celebration is open to all graduating USC students (including undergraduate, graduate/doctoral candidates) completing a degree in the spring, summer or fall term.
This bilingual celebration hosted by La CASA and the Latino Alumni Association is the most anticipated event of the year and is dedicated to our hardworking graduating students, and their friends and families. This special ceremony is meant to commemorate the perseverance and triumph of our students while also celebrating their diverse cultural roots.
This program is open to all eligible individuals. La CASA operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
Register for the Commencement Celebration hosted by La CASA and LAA!
Celebrate your achievements with your community! The Commencement Celebration is hosted by La CASA and the Latino Alumni Association. Registration is now open until April 18th at 5pm.
This program is open to all eligible individuals. La CASA operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
44th Annual Graduate Celebration Recap
Thank you to everyone who came to our 44th Annual Latine Graduate Celebration Ceremony! Gracias a todos los que vinieron a nuestra ceremonia de graduacion!
Please enjoy this video showing our graduation ceremony, live performances, and many of our graduates and speakers.
We hope you enjoy!
Interview with Leticia Delgado
Mayte Carrillo from Annenberg Media hosted a podcast with La CASA’s Center Supervisor, Leticia Delgado! The two discussed the importance and tradition of the Latine Graduate Celebration. Click play to have a listen and learn more about the most anticipated cultural event of the year, the Latine Graduate Celebration.
Interview with George Pla
La CASA is so proud to have the support of USC Alumn George Pla. Mr. George Pla is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and author, and a co-founder of the USC Latino Alumni Association. He is the Founder and CEO of Cordoba Corporation, a nationally recognized engineering firm, whose innovative leadership was the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.
A life-time Trojan, George Pla’s connection to USC runs deep and spans close to five decades. In fact, the entire Pla family are Trojans. George met his wife Gail at USC, and later their son and daughter also graduated from this esteemed institution.
George is a member of the USC Widney Society and the USC Scholarship Club. He is a USC Presidential Associate, and serves on the Board of Councilors for Price School of Public Policy and the USC Viterbi School – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
For his philanthropy and community service, he has been honored by USC with the “Alumnus of the Year Award” and, is also a 2019 “Price Pioneer” for exemplary professional leadership and dedication to diversity.
George is a Trustee of the California Science Center Foundation, where he chaired Cordoba Corporation’s historic transport of the Space Shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los Angeles.
Appointed by Governor Newsom, Mr. Pla is currently the President of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, host of the 2028 LA Summer Olympic Games.
George Pla is the co-author of the formative book on Latino politics, Power Shift – How Latinos in California Transformed Politics in America which recounts the history of Latino political empowerment in California and beyond.
The California Latino Legislative Caucus presented George with the distinguished Latino Spirit Award in the State Capitol for his achievements in business and philanthropy.
Commencement Celebration
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Commencement Celebration hosted by La CASA and the LAA will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 3:30-5:00 pm at McCarthy Quad at USC’s UPC campus.
Graduating students may RSVP for the Commencement Celebration Hosted by La CASA and the LAA on this form. Submissions will close on April 23rd, 5pm.
All graduating students can register to participate in the Commencement Celebration
Hosted by La CASA and the LAA. Graduates should complete
the registration form by April 23, 5pm.
USC’s commencement celebrations provide an opportunity for family and friends to
celebrate their graduating student in community. The Commencement Celebration
Hosted by La CASA and the LAA will highlight the
achievements of the entire group of students who register to participate, provide
moments of individual recognition for registered students, and highlight cultural
traditions and student performances that celebrate our campus community.
The Commencement Celebration is free for graduates and their families.
USC is committed to making its events accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you
need accommodations in order to participate in this event, you may contact La CASA at LaCASA@USC.edu, or by phone at 213.740.1480. Individuals requiring
accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters/real time
captioners and alternative format materials are asked to notify us at least seven days
prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide accommodations in
an effective and timely manner.
Yes, guests are welcomed at the Commencement Celebration Hosted by La CASA and the LAA. Any guests planning to attend are required to RSVP
to help La CASA create the best event possible for graduates and guests.
All graduating students will need to reserve and distribute tickets for their guests by
following the steps detailed on the Commencement website regarding Ticketing
Information.
Thank you for your preorder. You will be notified via email to pick up your sash.
Planned by La CASA staff members and Commencement Celebration Planning Committee; faculty, staff, and students.
Absolutely! As long as it is not happening at the same time (most don’t), you should be all clear to participate in both!
All graduating students attending commencement ceremonies are required to reserve
tickets for themselves and up to ten named guests. (Children under 2 years of age do
not need a ticket to attend.) These tickets are free of charge. Graduating students will
need to reserve and distribute tickets for their guests by following the steps detailed on
the Commencement website regarding Ticketing Information.
Guest Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
USC’s commencement celebrations provide an opportunity for family and friends to
celebrate their graduating student in community. The Commencement Celebration
Hosted by La CASA and the Latino Alumni Association will provide an opportunity
to highlight the achievements of the entire group of students who register to
participate, provide moments of individual recognition for registered students, and
highlight cultural traditions and student performances that celebrate our campus
community.
Yes, guests are welcomed at the
Commencement Celebration Hosted by La CASA and the LAA. Any guests planning to attend are required to RSVP to help the planning team create the best possible graduate and guest experience.
Your ticket to access USC commencement activities will be distributed to you directly
from your graduating student. Please see the USC Commencement website’s Ticketing
Information page for more details.
Mccarthy Quad is located in front of Doheny Library.
For public transportation and parking information, please visit the USC
Commencement website. The closest parking structure to Mccarthy Quad is the Structure on USC Mccarthy way, adjacent to Figueroa St.
For general accommodations for the USC campus and Commencement week, please see
the USC Commencement website. Guests needing accommodations in order to
participate in this event, may contact La CASA at LaCasa@USC.edu, or by the phone at 213.740.1480.