School of Education Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony

This spring’s commencement speaker is Saleem Ghubril, executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Ghubril has devoted his life to serving the people of his community through outreach and education programs and is a passionate advocate for children and for the City of Pittsburgh.

In 1985, Saleem founded The Pittsburgh Project, a community development organization that provided free home renovations to hundreds of vulnerable seniors each year. It also mentored, educated, and deployed thousands of youth in meaningful volunteer community service. Saleem led The Project for 23 years.

In 2008, Saleem became the founding Executive Director of The Pittsburgh Promise. The Promise promotes high educational aspirations among Pittsburgh’s youth, funds scholarships for post-secondary access, and fuels a prepared and diverse regional workforce. The Pittsburgh Promise has supported the post-secondary education of more than 12,500 graduates of the Pittsburgh Public Schools and provided them with more than $182 million in scholarships.

Saleem is the pastor emeritus of Mosaic Community Church in Pittsburgh. He also serves on the boards of The Hear Foundation, Pittsburgh Scholar House, and UPMC.

Amoy Crosbourne is a Master of Science in Applied Developmental Psychology graduate with a specialization in Behavioral Health in Schools and Communities. Over the past two years, she has been an active member of the Practices of Freedom cohort, deepening her commitment to equity and transformative education. Amoy has served her community through various leadership roles, including volunteering at Amplify Church as a youth leader and as the Children’s Ministry Director. For the past three years, she has worked with Urban Impact, an organization dedicated to transforming lives on the Northside of Pittsburgh one person, one family, one block at a time by serving students holistically—spiritually, socially, and academically. Through all her work, Amoy is passionate about empowering youth in their identity and gifts by creating spaces where they are loved & supported.

Nina L. Rorabaugh is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of education, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Teacher Education with a specialization in Special Education PK-12. She holds both a Pennsylvania Instructional I Certification in Special Education PK-12 and an Ohio Intervention Specialist License for Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe Needs, PK-12.

Nina currently serves as an Intervention Specialist at Stow-Munroe Falls High School in Stow, Ohio. Beyond the classroom, she is committed to student growth through athletics, serving as a Varsity Track & Field Assistant Coach, as well as the Head Junior Varsity Girls Soccer Coach and Varsity Assistant.

During her time at Pitt, Nina was honored to serve as a School of Education Student Ambassador for the 2024–2025 academic year and was recognized with the 2024 Dean’s Most Distinguished Undergraduate Student Award.

If you are unable to attend in person, the graduation ceremony will be available to watch via livestream on YouTube.  The link will be posted closer to the event.

• Academic regalia is required for graduating students in order for them to be able to participate in the ceremony.
• Only students in full academic regalia (cap, gown, tassel, and hood) will be permitted to participate. The only exception is for graduates in military uniform.
• Students may order their academic regalia through the University Store on Fifth. Visit the store website for more information. Undergraduate students may also visit the University commencement website for additional information.
• Not sure how to wear the regalia? Check out the University’s short, instructional video on how to wear your academic regalia.

• Students should arrive for the ceremony between 5:00 – 5:15 p.m. Please do not arrive before 5 p.m.
• They should enter through the main entrance of the Fitzgerald Field House.
• Students should arrive already dressed in their academic regalia.

• Once the student arrives, they should report to the line-up area and check in with their marshal (the staff or faculty member assigned to organize the students).
• The student will receive their name card (for name announcing) in a bag on each graduate’s seats.

• Guests should arrive at 5:30 p.m.
• After arriving, guests should proceed to the bleachers area of the Fitzgerald Field House.

• When the student completes their RSVP for the ceremony, they should indicate if any accommodations are required for individuals with disabilities.
• Wheelchairs will be available on site.
• There will be an ASL interpreter during the main ceremony.

• Paid parking is available at the OC Lots across the street from the Fitzgerald Field House. There are also a limited number of metered parking spots on the street.
• Additional parking is available at various lots on the Pitt campus.

• There will be a photographer on site who will take pictures of the graduating students.
• The graduating students will be emailed a link to the main picture gallery where they can download pictures.

The University holds a central ceremony for undergraduate students. However, there is not a University-wide ceremony for graduate students.

For more information regarding the undergraduate ceremony, please visit the University of Pittsburgh Commencement site.