Midway Staff

Karim Sulayman, a Class of 1994 alumnus, will deliver the commencement address. The lineup of speakers and performers has been finalized for the Class of 2024 graduation ceremony.

The lineup of speakers and performers has been finalized for the Class of 2024 graduation ceremony, which will be held at Rockefeller Chapel from 2-4 p.m. on June 6. Karim Sulayman, a Class of 1994 alumnus, will deliver the commencement address. 

Class of 2024 president Sam Pastor and Rathin Shah will give speeches to peers. Performers will include Maurice Neuman on the cello and a jazz band led by Adam Syverson with Skyler Albert, Alma Francez and Jacob Gazes.

Each family can claim up to six tickets initially, and once the deadline for reservation passes, any remaining tickets are made available to families.

Mr. Sulayman, who joined Lab in nursery school, is now a versatile performing artist, most notably a classical singer. He was recognized with the 2019 Best Classical Solo Vocal Grammy Award for “Songs of Orpheus,” his debut solo album. A globally recognized performer, Mr. Sulayman performs in operas and stage works, even writing his own.

Mr. Sulayman said aspects of his time at Lab remain with him 30 years after graduating.

“What was really special about my time there was that I was able to have a family outside of my family with the student body that I was in school with — and that’s invaluable,” Mr. Sulayman said. “It instills a sense of self to have connections like that in your life at such a young age. My time at Lab formed me in a lot of ways.”

Hoping to impart wisdom, Mr. Sulayman said he wishes to inspire seniors who might be in the position he was in as an aspiring artist at Lab, a school where he felt the field was underrepresented.

“Something that is really important in life is to find your individual path,” Mr. Sulayman said, “We have maps that are set out for us, but true success exists in people who are willing to challenge that for themselves and for others. I didn’t have a lot of people around me who understood what I wanted to do, and that was a struggle of mine, but ultimately it’s the differences that make us special.” 

Graduation committee member Yolotzin Martinez said the decision to invite Mr. Sulayman went beyond his status as an alumnus. While his attendance at Lab was an important consideration, the committee was also impressed by his career path.

“He is a singer, and that’s not what you would consider as a traditional path of success at Lab,” Yolotzin said, “because people often come here with an Ivy-or-bust mindset. But that deviation was interesting about his experience. He has an amazing story regarding his career and the committee was also impressed by some of the aspects of social activism in some of his work.”

Dean of Students Ana Campos is anticipating the ceremony, one of her personal favorite traditions at Lab.

“For many seniors and their families, graduation is the culmination of their up to, and in some cases, more than, 15 years at Lab,” Ms. Campos said. “The only memories they have are of being here, and our ceremony is a celebration of this class.”