Linfield to graduate nearly 500

Linfield University will graduate about 480 members of the Class of 2026 from its colleges of arts and sciences, business and nursing on Sunday, May 31, in ceremonies on the McMinnville campus.

The commencement will be one of several events recognizing the 445 undergraduates and 36 graduate students’ academic achievement, personal growth and support communities.

Award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Gregory Nava will deliver the keynote address during the Sunday ceremony, which will start at 10 a.m. on the lawn in front of Melrose Hall.

Nava received an Academy Award nomination in 1983 for Best Original Screenplay for “El Norte.” He later earned Golden Globe and MTV Movie Award nominations and won four American Latino Media Arts Awards for “Selena,” which he wrote and directed. In 2006, Nava produced, wrote and directed “Bordertown,” a film inspired by the unsolved murders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Another media figure, Barbara Martinez Jitner, will be the guest speaker at another commencement event, Linfield’s Latine Celebration at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30, on the McMinnville campus. The event will be in Spanish with English translation.

Martinez Jitner was executive producer of the Emmy-nominated television series “American Family.” She also wrote and directed many episodes of the series, the first Latino family drama broadcast on network television. Later, Martinez Jitner served as executive producer of “Bordertown,” a film based on her experiences working undercover in factories in Juárez, Mexico.

In addition to Martinez Jitner, Linfield’s Gerardo Ochoa, higher education executive and nonprofit founder, will speak at the Latine Celebration. Sara Gomez Horta, who graduated in 2017 and is a member of the Linfield University Board of Trustees, will act as emcee.

Additional events for various groups include:

• The Lavender Senior Stole Ceremony for LGBTQ-Plus students at 11 a.m. Saturday in Graf Hall. Hannah Fisher, ‘19, Linfield’s director of student care and support, will be the keynote speaker.

• The Black Excellence Ceremony and Asian and Pacific Islander Senior Stole Ceremony is at noon Saturday, also in Graf. Keynote speaker will be Marie Noussi, associate professor of French and Francophone studies.

For all students, a baccalaureate ceremony, based on a variety of faith traditions, will start at 2 p.m. Saturday in Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium.

Senior awards will be presented at 3:30 p.m. in Ted Wilson Gymnasium.

A pinning ceremony for nurses will follow the main graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday in the graduation green.

For a complete schedule, go to www.linfield.edu/commencement.