May 7, 2025, Santa Rosa, CA — Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) will celebrate its 107th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. at Bailey Field Stadium. This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Karissa Kruse, CEO of the Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), where she leads efforts to promote and protect Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions.
The student speaker is Elisabeth Provost, who returned to SRJC alongside her children to pursue lifelong learning and build the skills needed to launch New Alexandria Creative Group, a business focused on turning creative ideas into books and products. While completing degrees and certificates in Communication, Entrepreneurship, and Drone Piloting, she also became Director of the San Francisco Writers Conference, published several books, and found confidence and community through SRJC’s Forensics Speech, Debate & Performance Team.
With a background in brand strategy at companies like General Mills and Universal Studios, Kruse has expanded the region’s visibility through high-profile partnerships and has been widely recognized for her innovation and leadership. She launched the “Farm of the Future” initiative, advancing regenerative agriculture through partnerships with major industry leaders, and also leads the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation to support vineyard employees and their families. A graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, she said, “It is a true honor to serve as commencement speaker for Santa Rosa Junior College. This institution represents opportunity, resilience, and the power of education to shape lives and our community. What makes it personal for me is how often I see SRJC show up in the lives of the people I work with, learn from, and collaborate with across Sonoma County. To stand alongside these graduates at such an important milestone is both humbling and deeply inspiring.”
The commencement ceremony is a ticketed event, with gates opening at 7:00 a.m. Bailey Field Stadium is located at 1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA. Free parking is available in the adjacent parking structure and nearby campus lots. The ceremony will be held rain or shine and will be livestreamed at live.santarosa.edu.
Visit SRJC’s 2026 Commencement for more information.
