Celebrating Stanford: Baccalaureate
The Office for Religious & Spiritual Life celebrates life’s big moments at Stanford by hosting our University's annual Baccalaureate celebration.
Baccalaureate (pronounced “bak-uh-lawr-ee-it”) at Stanford is a celebratory gathering for graduating seniors, graduate students, and professional students, as well as their families and friends. This gathering is part of Commencement weekend and is a bookend to the Opening Convocation held four years earlier.
2024 Baccalaureate celebration
Student Speaker Contest
We invite you to share your spiritual reflections on your Stanford story and your future hopes as the Class of 2025 Baccalaureate speaker.
Contest Guidelines:
- Contest is open to undergraduate members of the Class of 2025
- Speech cannot exceed 600 words
- Submit the final version of your speech. You will not be able to edit the speech after submission.
- Entries accepted now through Sunday, April 27, 2025, 11:59 pm Pacific time
- No exceptions to the deadline
- Attach your speech in Word format
- $500 prize will be awarded to the winner
Questions? Contact baccalaureate@lists.stanford.edu
Baccalaureate Keynote Speaker

Art historian Alexander Nemerov to speak at Baccalaureate
The Stanford professor whose lectures present the past as “a vibrant, living dialogue” will give the keynote address at the 2025 Baccalaureate celebration in June.