Continuing a College tradition of celebrating graduates with inspiration from fellow students, Mary Blair, Katrina Lee and Anna Li will be the featured student speakers for the annual Class Day ceremony on Friday, June 14. Now in its third year, Class Day is a student-orchestrated event that kicks off Convocation Weekend and celebrates the Class of 2019, its achievements and its unique contributions to the UChicago community.
Mary Blair, political science and comparative race and ethnic studies
Mary Blair, a political science and comparative race and ethnic studies major, grew up in Saint Louis, but after coming to UChicago has become deeply invested in the Chicago community, both on and off campus. An alumna of the Chicago Bound pre-orientation week program, Blair has devoted much of her extracurricular time to civic engagement and public service, having served as president of the Organization of Black Students and on the board of Chicago Peace Corps and Leaders of Color. Blair is also an alumna of the Shriver Fellowship for Leadership in Public Service and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship. After graduation, she will be packing her bags and moving to Dakar, Senegal, where she has been awarded a Fulbright grant to conduct research.
Katrina Lee, English language and literature, computer science and mathematics
Hailing from Watertown, Mass., Katrina Lee is triple majoring in English language and literature, computer science and mathematics. Lee spent several years on staff at The Chicago Maroon, where she worked as chief copy editor and, more recently, the crossword editor. She likes to learn about agriculture and has worked on farms in Massachusetts, North Carolina and Ireland. After graduation, Lee will be moving on to warmer weather, working in the Bay Area as a software engineer.
Anna Li, sociology
Anna Li is a transfer student from Rochester, Minn. who joined the College after her first year of undergrad. Li has been involved with the Admissions Office as a tour guide, Major Activities Board, the Provost’s Sexual Misconduct Student Advisory Board and UChicago Panhellenic Council. This year, she led the incoming transfer students through orientation as UChicago’s first ever Transfer Student Director. Li also loves making food, sharing food and discussing food in the context of society and history. A sociology major, her dream is to eventually stand behind the lectern and teach the Core and a class on the sociology of food, but for now, her post-graduation plans are to work as a pastry cook, dance a lot and do the best that she can one day at a time.
This year’s Class Day event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on UChicago’s Main Quadrangle. The ceremony will feature student and faculty awards, musical performances by Shubha Vedula, AB’18, and student group Dirt Red Band, and a keynote address from Emmy award-winning journalist Rebecca Jarvis, AB’03. Students are invited to wear honorary pins and cords, traditional cultural dress and any other celebratory attire.