Congratulations Westcliff University Graduates, Class of 2025

Watch the recap videos below to relive the magic!

Commencement 2025 – College of Business

Commencement 2025 – College of Technology & Engineering + College of Education

Commencement 2026

We are eagerly anticipating Westcliff University’s 2026 Commencement Ceremony, an amazing celebration of the remarkable achievements of our graduating students. We take great pride in our Warriors and are excited to witness their influence extend beyond the classroom, serving as role models and paving the way for future generations.

Speaker Information

Ceremony #1 – College of Technology & Engineering + College of Education

Asheesh Advani

President & CEO of JA Worldwide
Asheesh Advani is a lifelong social innovator and CEO of JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide, one of the world’s largest NGOs. Providing entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy programs in over 100 countries, JA Worldwide has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and is annually ranked as one of the ten most impactful NGOs in the world. Asheesh served as a founder and CEO of technology companies that were acquired by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Interactive Brokers, and his entrepreneurial journey has been featured in case studies at Harvard and Babson. He’s the co-author of Modern Achievement, an international bestseller that reconsiders the definition of achievement for today’s aspiring leaders. Asheesh is active in the World Economic Forum, having been an annual speaker in Davos for several years, and was recognized by Thinkers50 as one of the 50 most inspirational leaders in the world. He holds a business degree from Wharton and a doctorate from Oxford, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.

Ceremony #2 – College of Business

Kelly Michelena

Director of Business Development, AI at Meta
As Director of Business Development for GenAI Partnerships at Meta, Kelly Michelena supports a dynamic ecosystem of partners in leveraging Meta’s generative AI technologies, including the company’s open-source large language model, Llama. In previous roles at Reality Labs, Kelly led initiatives to enhance the developer experience on Horizon Worlds and Quest, and earlier supported entertainment partners in adopting Meta’s suite of production tools, such as APIs for Facebook Live and Reels.

Kelly has also played a key role in shaping Meta’s developer community, producing sessions for major conferences including F8 and Connect. Prior to joining Meta, she co-created the globally recognized mobile game Heads Up and earned two Emmy Awards for contributions to The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Ceremony Information

Location

Costa Mesa, CA

Ceremony #1

College of Technology & Engineering + College of Education
Ceremony: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (PDT)
Mandatory graduate check-in time: 1:30 PM (PDT)
Please note that Honors Recognition will be incorporated into the ceremony.

This event is for graduating students from the following programs:
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Masters of Science in Information Technology
Masters of Science in Computer Science
Masters of Science in Engineering Management
Bachelors of Education
Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Doctor of Education in Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction

Ceremony #2

College of Business
Ceremony: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (PDT)
Mandatory graduate check-in time: 4:00 PM (PDT)
Please note that Doctoral Hooding and Honors Recognition will be incorporated into the ceremony.

This event is for graduating students from the following programs:
Bachelor of Business Administration
Masters of Business Administration
Doctorate of Business Administration

Information Sessions

Check back next year for more information regarding Commencement 2026.

Eligibility

Requirements in Order to Participate

Academic

• Bachelors and Masters level students must have graduated or enrolled in their final class by end of Summer
• Doctoral Candidates must be in their final dissertation block by Summer 5

Student Accounts
All graduates participating in Commencement must clear any outstanding balances by the stated deadline (TBA Spring 2026). Failure to do so will result in not participating.

Note: This does not apply to current balances that are not past due.

Commencement Regalia
Graduates must purchase appropriate Regalia in order to participate. Graduates not wearing Regalia will not be eligible to participate. Regalia orders must be placed before the stated deadline to ensure timely delivery.

Note: Westcliff University does not provide regalia to students participating in Commencement.

Order Regalia Here

Honors Designation & Doctoral Hooding

Honors Designation

This designation is bestowed upon those who have completed all courses and finished their program with a 3.5 GPA or higher.
This is incorporated into the commencement ceremony. When the graduate’s name is called, their honors designation will also be announced.

Doctoral Hooding

Doctoral candidates who have completed or are in their final dissertation block by Summer 5 will be hooded.
This is incorporated into the commencement ceremony. When the graduate’s name is called, the graduate will be hooded by Westcliff University Leadership. They are to be dressed in all regalia except for their hood which will be carried on their arm until official hooding.

Commencement Regalia

Ordering Regalia

All graduates participating MUST order their regalia from Jostens. Failure to wear appropriate regalia will result in not participating. No exceptions.
Please be mindful that there will be a deadline to order regalia. If you miss the deadline, you will need to call Jostens at (800) 845-7464, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, to place a late order (if possible) and it must be expedited.

Order Now

Travel & Hotel Information

Commencement Ceremony Site

The Commencement Ceremony will take place in Costa Mesa, CA (full address will be provided in your invitation).

Location
Costa Mesa, CA

Hotel Accommodations

Graduates & guests traveling from out of town MUST make their own travel arrangements. There are several hotels located in the area near the Commencement site. More information will be provided during Graduate Info Sessions.

Westcliff University has secured discounted rates for our commencement guests at the following hotels. We highly recommend checking availability and booking far in advance, as we cannot guarantee availability.

• Element Irvine
• Embassy Suites
• Courtyard Marriott

Travel

Graduates & guests traveling from out of town MUST make their own travel arrangements. Please confirm and book your travel arrangements before flying to California. As a reminder, Westcliff does not offer rooms or dormitories on campus.
For convenience, we recommend flying into the John Wayne (SNA) Airport, located only 5 minutes away from the venue. If John Wayne Airport is not an option, the following airports are available with their respective commute times. Please note that Westcliff University does not offer airport pick-up or drop-off.

• Los Angeles Airport (LAX): 1 hour to 1 hour & 30 min from venue
• Long Beach Airport (LGB): 30-45 minutes from venue
• Ontario Airport (ONT): 45 minutes to 1 hour & 30 minutes from venue

International Visa Information

If you are traveling to commencement from out of the country, please note the embassy does not take letters from the university. Students should write their own letters and use the invite/announcement for tourist visas. Please prepare to arrive 1-2 days in advance to account for any delayed or missed flights. Please ensure that you have booked your accommodations as well.

Graduate Expectations

Graduates are to arrive ON TIME!

Ceremony 1: Grads must arrive by 1:30pm
Ceremony 2: Grads must arrive by 4:00pm

Graduates should park in one of the three parking structures, preferably the Plaza Tower Parking Structure. There is a parking fee of $15 per vehicle. Please report to the Samueli Theater for Graduate Check In. There will be signage and staff to assist. Please plan accordingly by giving yourself ample time as you will need to park and make your way to the theater. Arriving later could result in exclusion from the ceremony.

Commencement Attire

All graduates are required to purchase & wear appropriate regalia.
Clothing underneath regalia should be professional or business casual attire. Please wear comfortable dress shoes as you will be walking and standing during the ceremony for a considerable amount of time. Additionally, if you plan on bringing a purse only clutch bags are allowed. Please note, stoles are available to purchase from Jostens, but are not required. You may customize them as well. Graduates are also able to decorate their caps if they so choose.

Ceremony Expectations

All graduates are required to present themselves professionally and maintain appropriate ceremony decorum.

• No Electronic Devices: Cell phones must be turned off or silenced during the ceremony
• Each graduate must stay the entirety of the Commencement Ceremony
• Confetti/Party Poppers/Blow Horns/Beach Balls are PROHIBITED
• No Metal Water Bottles. Water will be provided to graduates

Guest Expectations

Guest Arrival

Please note that guests should plan to arrive with enough time to accommodate parking, walking to the venue, and collecting their tickets.
Guests are to park in any of the parking structures available. There is a parking fee of $15 per vehicle. Upon arriving at the front entrance, guests will check in and receive their tickets for entry.

Doors will open for guests at the following times:
Ceremony 1: 2:00 PM (PDT)
Ceremony 2: 5:30 PM (PDT)

Ceremony Decorum

• No Electronics: Cell phones must be turned off or silenced during the ceremony
• Guests are assigned seating and should sit in their designated seats.
• Guests are not permitted in the Graduate Seating or any of the graduate areas.
• Confetti/Party Poppers/Blow Horns are PROHIBITED
• Smoking/Vaping is PROHIBITED
• No metal water bottles. Guests may purchase refreshments.
• Balloons are not permitted in the concert hall during the ceremony.

Parking Information

Graduate Parking

Please note that graduates should plan to arrive with enough time to accommodate parking and walking to the check in area.
Graduates should plan to park in the Plaza Tower Parking Structure (if possible). There is a parking Fee of $15 per vehicle.

Guest Parking

Please note that guests should plan to arrive with enough time to accommodate parking, walking to the venue, and collecting their tickets.
Guests are to park in the Center Tower Parking Structure or Park Center Parking Structure, preferably. There is a parking fee of $15 dollars per vehicle.

Commencement Ceremony FAQ