Long Beach City College rescheduled and revised its annual Commencement exercises as a virtual ceremony to take place on Fri., June 12, 2020 at 5 p.m. Local chef and LBCC alumnus, Visoth Tarak Ouk, better known as Chef T, will serve as the 2020 Commencement keynote speaker.

In reaction to the physical distancing necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the College will produce an online platform and recorded ceremony for those receiving their Associate Degree of Arts, Associate Degree of Sciences, and Certificates of Achievement. LBCC graduates, friends and family will be able to watch the virtual ceremony from www.LBCC.edu on June 12 at 5 p.m.

“We look forward to celebrating our Long Beach City College Class of 2020 in our inaugural virtual graduation,” said Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees President Vivian Malauulu. “Our students and their families deserve to have a commencement ceremony to honor their hard work and sacrifices. There is no one better to address our graduates during these trying times than Chef T.”

“The Class of 2020 is an exceptionally determined group of students who deserve all the celebration possible,” said Long Beach Community College District’s Interim Superintendent-President Lou Anne Bynum. “Our students, assisted by the incredible work of our faculty, staff and administrators, has persevered. Chef T truly embodies that Viking spirit of tenacity and grit that is reflected in our Class of 2020.”

Chef T is a graduate of Long Beach City College’s Culinary Arts Program and has gone on to become a local celebrity as the executive chef in Long Beach restaurants.

“For a second-generation kid from an immigrant family, this is an amazing honor to return to LBCC as this year’s Commencement Speaker,” said Chef T. “Who knew that the student who had to walk three hours to LBCC would one day be the one to offer advice to the Class of 2020?”

The original in-person ceremony was originally scheduled for June 4. In addition to the virtual ceremony, the Class of 2020 will be welcomed back to walk in LBCC’s next in-person Commencement Ceremony in 2021. More details will be included on the LBCC Commencement website www.LBCC.edu/Commencement in the near future.