December 8, 2024 – On Sunday, Dec. 15, Millikin University will honor 80 graduates from the Class of 2024 with an in-person Winter Commencement ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. The ceremony will recognize undergraduates and those receiving their Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees.
Doors will open at 1:00 p.m. Graduating students will be allowed up to 10 guests at the ceremony.
Millikin community members can also watch the ceremony through a public livestream on Millikin’s graduation website at millikin.edu/commencement.
The ceremony will feature remarks from Millikin President Dr. Jim Reynolds and student speaker Luke Manolakes. The Winter Commencement address will be given by Danville, Ill. mayor Rickey Williams Jr., a Millikin graduate from the Class of 2000.
Student speaker Luke Manolakes is graduating with a B.S. in Health Promotion. He is from Champaign, Ill., and is the son of Allison and Dan Manolakes. Initially attending Illinois State University, Luke transferred to Millikin after a year and shifted his major to focus on becoming a personal trainer.
Luke ran track and cross country for the Big Blue and now supports the squad as the Team Manager. He has also volunteered with the Big Blue Swim Team and is active in the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Winter Commencement keynote speaker Rickey Williams Jr. is the mayor of Danville, Ill. Rickey was a Presidential Scholar at Millikin University, earning a B.A. in Political Science in 2000. After graduation, he was awarded a full fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science at Emory University.
