Student Speakers

Commencement Student Speaker Application

Portland State University invites students graduating in spring 2026 from the following schools and colleges to apply to be a student speaker at their school or college’s commencement ceremony:

• College of the Arts
• College of Urban and Public Affairs
• OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
• College of Education
• The School of Business
• School of Social Work
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science

How to Apply

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a graduating student eligible to participate in the Spring 2026 ceremony.
• Be graduating with a minimum PSU institutional GPA of 3.0. 

Submit a complete application package by Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time via the application form.

Your application package must include:

• Current resume.
• Script of proposed commencement speech (may be no more than 2 minutes in length when delivered verbally).
• Video of you presenting the written script of your speech, posted to YouTube as an unlisted video. See "how to create an unlisted video." Please provide a link in your application.  
• Reference. Please provide the name, title, and email address of one current PSU faculty or staff member that the commencement team can contact as your reference for why you would be a great speaker.

Submitting Your Application

Applications are due by Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time. The application must be submitted electronically through the application form. 

Speaker Selection Committee

A committee of PSU faculty and staff will review student speaker applications.  Finalists will be selected and asked to deliver their speech at an audition before the speaker selection committee in late April. Final decisions on student speakers will be made by May 8, 2026.

Questions

Any questions about the application process can be sent to the commencement team.