Student Speaker 2024

In the spirit of inclusivity and of broadening the voices to be represented at this important celebration, all graduating seniors were invited to apply to be chosen by the Ithaca College Commencement Committee to represent the Class of 2024 as the student speaker. Selected to deliver those remarks was Mikayla Tolliver, who will be receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing, with a concentration in creative writing and a minor in sociology.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Tolliver has been involved in several campus organizations during her four years at IC. She was a member of the sixth cohort of BOLD scholars, co-chaired the Admission Host Committee, and served as president of Buzzsaw Magazine. As a first-year student, she wrote the Ask a Freshman column for The Ithacan.

In 2023 Tolliver was selected as a School of Humanities and Sciences Summer Scholar, during which she worked on writing her first novel and conducted research on diversity and representation within the young adult fantasy genre. After graduation, Tolliver plans to pursue work with a creative writing nonprofit and then attend graduate school to further her education and continue strengthening her writing.