Class of 2025: Commencement is here as faculty, staff and community celebrate
Story by Misty Bouse and Photos by Ric Getter.
Portland Community College anticipates thousands of families and friends to join graduates for the college’s 63rd graduation ceremony set for 7 p.m., Friday, June 13 at the Memorial Coliseum (300 N. Ramsay Way).?
President Dr. Adrien Bennings will confer diplomas and certificates upon nearly 1,000 graduates walking across the stage. The program includes a keynote address by Lisa Mensah, president and CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation, who will celebrate the graduating class of 2025.
Lisa Mensah.
Mensah serves on the boards of Ecotrust, Feeding America, Fidelity Bank of Ghana, and the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (USA). A proponent of education, Mensah stewards statewide and global economic health and prosperity.
Vicky Lopez-Sanchez (interim vice president of Student Affairs) and Jennifer Ernst (vice president of Academic Affairs) are serving as co-masters of the ceremony. On the day of commencement, parking will be free at?PCC’s Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth St.), and free shuttles will run to the Memorial Coliseum. Shuttles will begin at 4 p.m. and will run approximately every 20 minutes. The shuttles will continue to operate for 45 minutes after the ceremony.
For more details on commencement and to access a live stream of the ceremony, visit pcc.edu/commencement/.?
Rose Binoya, Student Speaker
After nearly two decades and a major career shift, Rose Binoya will take the stage as Portland Community College’s 2025 student commencement speaker, celebrating her journey from artist to advocate for inclusive fitness and well-being. Named to the President’s List, the 37-year-old will graduate with highest honors earning an associate degree in Exercise Science. She is originally from Southern California and lives in Southwest Portland with her husband and two children.
A former retail lead and trained artist, Binoya returned to school in 2023, driven by personal tragedy and a new sense of purpose. Her father passed away in 2022 while recovering from heart surgery. His lifelong struggle with mental health stigma and lack of support for physical health inspired Binoya to pursue a new path.
“I realized that life isn’t a straight line; it curves,” Binoya said. “My dad didn’t get the help he needed, and I wanted to be the person someone like him could turn to.”
Rose Binoya.
Binoya was also awarded the PCC Foundation Exercise Science Scholarship and credits college counseling services for helping her through challenges during her first year back in school. Looking ahead, she plans to attend Portland State University in fall 2025 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Applied Health and Fitness, with the goal of becoming a doctor of physical therapy.
Currently a fitness instructor with Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District, Binoya specializes in adaptive classes for youth, older adults and individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities. She leads “All Bodies Bootcamp” and “Kids Fit and Fun” classes every weekend as part of a free fitness series in the park.
Binoya’s mission is to challenge fitness stereotypes and create spaces where movement is joyful and accessible. Her approach blends compassion with science, rooted in what she learned at PCC, from injury prevention and mental health first aid to exercise physiology and adaptive yoga.
“I want people to know that movement is for everybody regardless of size, age or ability,” she said. “True strength comes from showing up, exactly as you are.”