Colorado Mesa University will keep the tradition of a commencement speaker for the 2019 graduation ceremony, with Associated Student Government Vice President Jeff Vela and United States Senator Cory Gardner as speakers.

“As some universities turn away from the tradition of reading graduate names during commencement, CMU has announced a modified format that will keep the practice intact while improving the ceremony for attendees,” the CMU website said. 

Vela has served as the ASG vice president, along with President Beau Flores for the 2018-2019 school year. Before that he was an ASG senator for two years.

Gardner has been a Colorado senator since 2015, after having served in the United States House of Representatives from 2011-2015 and the Colorado House of Representatives from 2005-2011.

Graduation, otherwise known as the commencement ceremony, has two separate occasions this year, both on May 18, one at 8:30am and one at 4:00pm. Commencement speakers are equivalent to keynote speakers, and Gardner will be speaking at the morning ceremony, while Vela will speak at the afternoon one.

“I am very fortunate and humbled to have the opportunity to speak to my graduating class. My speech is currently still in the works, but I hope to talk about how failure is actually a good thing as we approach the real world,” Vela said.