Walsh to Speak at Urban College of Boston Commencement

Mayor Martin J. Walsh will deliver the commencement address to Urban College’s newest graduates and largest graduating class in the history of the college on May 31, according to a press statement.

“The Urban College of Boston community is honored to have Mayor Martin J. Walsh as our commencement speaker as we celebrate our twentieth graduation,” said Michael Taylor, President of Urban College. “Like many of our students, Mayor Walsh attended college later in life on a part-time basis while he worked full time. He knows the commitment it has taken for our graduates to reach this day. As many of our students work in the field of early childhood education, we are deeply appreciative of his well-established commitment to education as a legislator and as our Mayor.”

Urban College will award an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree in Human Services to Mayor Walsh, and will present the first John and Mary Walsh Scholarship to graduating student, Timothy F. Wilson. This scholarship is named for the Mayor’s parents and the values they instilled in their two sons.

Urban College will also award an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education to Dr. Valora Washington, President & CEO of the CAYL Institute and President of the National Council for Professional Recognition, which awards the Child Development Associate (CDA), “The Best 1st Step” in early childhood education. UCB is awarding Dr. Washington with the honorary degree for her nationally recognized scholarly and practical contributions to the field of early education and care.

Urban College of Boston, a two-year private institution of higher education, was chartered in 1993 with the mission of offering affordable and quality higher education as a pathway for inner city residents to achieve their personal and professional dreams. UCB is proud to celebrate its twentieth annual commencement this Sunday, May 31st at the Cutler Majestic Theatre on 219 Tremont Street in downtown Boston. This year Urban College will produce the highest number of graduates in the twenty-two year history of the College as 163 students will be receiving their Associate of Arts degrees or Certificates of Achievement.

The college is also proud that the 2014-2015 academic year experienced the highest registration and enrollment numbers in the history of the college. At UCB we educate 1,200 students annually who reflect the racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of the city. Among New England colleges and universities, Urban College (UCB) has the highest percentage of Hispanic enrollments (56%), the 4th highest percentage of African-American enrollments (22%), and the 8th highest percentage of Asian-American students (12%). In addition, at least 60% speak English as a second language, over 90% work full-time, and almost all are first generation college students. UCB is committed to enrolling and retaining these students so that they can complete their education at the post-secondary level, advance into growing careers, and potentially earn their four year degree.

One graduating student who from came to the United States five years ago lacking English ability and facing multiple financial and family hurdles recently expressed at the college’s robing ceremony that she now considers herself, “the luckiest woman whom Urban College opened the doors of success for…without the help of supportive teachers and faculty members of the Urban College, I would never have been able to make my dreams a reality.”