Holy Cross College is proud to announce that Alex Jones, CEO & Co-Founder of Hallow, a Catholic app for prayer, meditation, music, bible, and sleep, is the commencement speaker for this year’s Commencement.

Alex grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame School of Engineering in 2015 and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business in 2020. He worked professionally in consulting in Chicago before Hallow at McKinsey & Co as an Engagement Manager, and now lives in Chicago with his wife, daughter, two sons, and a newborn baby girl.

He’s been named a member of Forbes 30 under 30 with his two co-founders, Erich Kerekes and Alessandro DiSanto, and a member of the inaugural University of Notre Dame Domer Dozen. He has been awarded the Legatus Bowie Kuhn Evangelization Award, the Catholic International University’s Founder’s Award, and the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast’s Christifidelis Laici Award. Alex has appeared on NPR, Fox News, the BBC, the Tucker Carlson Network, Pints with Aquinas, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Free Press, and more.

Details are forthcoming.

PARKING

Guests may park in any Holy Cross College campus student parking lot, with the exception of any barricaded sections (Pfeil Center lot and commuter lot).

Parking spots have been reserved for those guests with special parking needs.  Please contact Holy Cross Security for details.

SUGGESTED ATTIRE

Appropriate dress is business to business casual attire.  Please no jeans, sweats, athletic shoes.  Note that graduates will ascend and descend stairs, so flats and low heals are recommended.

ROBING AND LINE-UP

Please report to the Vincent Lounge / Ave Brew Café at 1:15 pm. for robing and ALPHABETICAL line-up.  Your guests are invited to be seated in the Pfeil Center at this time.

Each guest with a ceremony ticket will be allowed to be seated at 1:00 p.m.; guests without tickets will be invited to enter the McKenna arena once the graduation procession has entered the gym.  Un-ticketed guests may be seated as space permits, or take standing room only.

Do not bring valuables, as there will be no secure place for purses, backpacks, etc.

Graduates should wear their retainable cap and gown, and Stole of Gratitude.

Caps may be decorated in a tasteful manner.

CAP TASSELS will have the Holy Cross shield attached. The 2026 tassel dangle has purposely been removed and may be reattached to your tassel AFTER commencement. Tassels should be placed on the RIGHT side of the cap for procession.  Once degrees are conferred graduates will be instructed to move tassel to the left side of cap.

Graduates line up alphabetically in a single line behind the Registrar, flag bearers, gonfalons and student presenters.

CEREMONY

Names of each graduate will be taped on the graduate chairs in the Pfeil Center; please have a seat in the chair with your name. 

The Registrar will invite each row of graduates to stand at the appropriate time, to proceed to the stage.  Names will be read alphabetically.  Proceed across the stage, stop for one moment, receive diploma from college president, look off stage, and smile —your photo will taken while you shake hands with Dr. Clark.  Descend from the stage and reclaim your seat.

During the ceremony, Dr. Griffin will instruct graduates to look upward toward the running track for group / class photo to be taken.

Looking for official class rings and jewelry? Click here to view and order class rings.

Click here to view and order graduation announcements.

Click here to view and order diploma frames.

Details forthcoming.

Accommodations At-A-Glance

Apartment Rates: $100.00 per apartment, per night.
Available Nights to Book: Friday, May 15 and/or Saturday, May 16
Available Apartment Type: Two bedrooms, four beds, two baths, first or second floor. No
elevator available.
Residence Hall Type: Apartment-style, air conditioned, non-smoking.
Residence Hall Location: Legacy Hall and Pulte Hall
What is Included: Two bedrooms, kitchen with stove and refrigerator, two restrooms, main living space; bedrooms each have two twin beds, two desks, two dressers, and linen pack per bed (with each linen pack containing pillow with case, two flat sheets, two towels, and thin blanket), guest wi-fi, and complimentary parking in a nearby surface lot.
What is Not Included: No rooms with a television, microwave, dishes, flatware, cookware, couch, cot, or crib. There are no elevators in the residence halls.

Residence Hall Details

All accommodations will be located in an apartment-style, air conditioned, two-story
residence hall. Each apartment has two bedrooms with two private restrooms, four twin beds, four desks, four dressers, guest wi-fi, and four linen packs each containing a pillow with case, two flat sheets, two towels, and a thin blanket. Apartments are equipped with a kitchen containing a refrigerator and stove and a shared living space. Apartments will not have microwaves, dishes, flatware, cookware, couches, televisions, cots, or cribs.

As there are a finite number of accessible and lower-level apartments available, we
encourage guests with special housing requirements to complete a reservation early and detail all accessibility/accommodation needs during the online reservation
process. Please keep in mind that these are residence apartments: these are not hotel
rooms. If you are unsure if this lodging type would work for you and your guests, please contact us to further discuss before booking ([email protected], 574.239.8374).

Reservations will be accepted until 4 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24, or until space
fills. Early reservations are strongly encouraged. Apartment reservations are nonrefundable: please read through all of the information provided before making a
reservation.

Completing a Reservation

Reservations are accepted online or by phone or email (574.239.8374 or
[email protected]) and full payment is required to finalize your booking.

Click Register Now to complete your reservation; a staff member will contact you for
payment.

During the reservation process you will select your nights of stay and provide the names of each guest in your party. If needed, you can reserve multiple apartments at once.

All apartments reserved under the same account will be placed as close together as possible in the same residence hall, as space permits. After you select your apartments, you will be required to submit payment in full by credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover). If payment is not received in full your reservation will be considered incomplete and will be subject to cancellation.

Space is limited and reservations will only be accepted as space permits, so we
recommend making your reservation early! Based on previous years, we anticipate
rooms could fill by mid-April. Room reservations are non-refundable: please read
through all of the information provided in the tabs above before completing a reservation.

Residence Hall CHECK-IN hours

Friday May 15: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 16: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Residence Hall Check-Out instructions will be provided upon your arrival.
All guest rooms must be vacated by 12 NOON on Sunday, May 17.

Parking

Parking is available for our residence hall guests in any of the Holy Cross College STUDENT DESIGNATED LOTS. A campus map highlighting the location of your accommodations and guest parking will be provided with the completion of your guest registration.

Questions? Please contact a member of the Commencement Committee at [email protected] or 574.239.8374 with questions, to register, to make payment, or for further assistance