Commencement caravan to celebrate summer graduates on Friday, July 24

With the next virtual commencement ceremonies around the corner, FIU is celebrating summer grads in real Panther style: a caravan that will conga line between the Blue and Gold Garages at MMC on Friday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A DJ blasting some of the best celebration songs will set the mood for the festivities and Roary (yes, in the flesh!) will be there cheering on these grads as they revel in their achievements.

Graduates will enter campus through the 107th Avenue entrance and drive straight down S.W. 16th Street and head toward the commencement tent, located at the end of the loop between both garages. The first 500 grads will get a goodie bag at the tent. Each gift bag comes complete with a souvenir tassel and some FIU swag.

For all you summer grads out there, make sure to deck your cars out in full Panther pride for a chance to win a prize as one of the top three best-decorated cars.

The first prize winner will earn a coveted class ring from Herff Jones (you know want it!). The second-place winner will take an FIU diploma frame and third place will claim five extra general admission commencement tickets for a future traditional ceremony. So, dazzle your car with blue and gold, throw on the confetti and the balloons and rep FIU – for the pure joy of it, and for a chance at one of these prizes. Be creative – and have fun!

The whole reason behind the caravan is simple: To show summer grads some love and make sure they celebrate this important milestone – despite the pandemic and its limitations.

“Graduation is a once in a lifetime event for most students,” says Cameron Jones, director of Commencement and Ceremonies. “For these particular students, with everything they have had to go through, we want to do whatever we can to make this celebration of their achievements as special as possible. This caravan is just a small part of how we can hopefully still make this moment an unforgettable one for these graduates and their families.”

Melanie Rodriguez '19, a special events manager on the commencement team and a recent alumna herself adds, “I think it’s really cool and an awesome opportunity for graduates. We’re living in unprecedented times, and we want to make sure the students feel special.”

Important info

The caravan is only for summer graduates. They will need to bring their FIU One Card and present it at the tent.

Grads and their family members must remain inside the car at all times.

Everyone in the car must keep their face mask on throughout the entire time the car is on campus.

If rain threatens, the team is prepared for a slightly altered driving route. Graduates would enter the campus through the 107th Avenue entrance, then proceed to the north entrance of the Blue Garage, and exit through the east exit. 

commencement website.