Dear RMCAD Family,
Welcome to the Summer term at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. Summer is a time of reflection for our college. As you enjoy the warm weather and longer days, I invite you all to look back with me as we celebrate our recent successes, our student body, and our thriving community.
First and foremost, I want to congratulate and bid farewell to the class of 2025. On Sunday, May 4, our college hosted two graduation ceremonies, honoring nearly 400 graduates from 39 states. Both ceremonies recognized the passionate work of our 2025 graduates, who represented both online and campus modalities. I would like to extend a special thank you to both of this year’s valedictorians, Cherjay Yang and Allison Hawes. Their hard work and dedication to their craft made them the perfect representatives of our student body. Thank you both for the wise words you shared with your fellow graduates. For those of you who were not able to attend the ceremony in person, I want to thank you for joining us via our commencement livestream and continuing the celebration at home.
To all of our current students, remember you are the graduates of tomorrow, so keep pushing forward; the finish line is in sight. Regardless of where you are in your current program (first year or third year), it will one day be your name called at commencement. If you have questions about your path to graduation or want to change from a part-time to full-time status to graduate sooner, please contact your academic advisor. Whether you are enrolled in summer coursework or taking a well-deserved break, I want to congratulate you on a phenomenal job this academic year. It has been a year full of impactful projects, exhibitions, and collaborations, which continue to make our community proud. Check out RMCAD’s blog and social media channels to get a glimpse of the incredible stories from this past year; and cheer on your fellow classmates, professors, and peers!
Finally, I would like to thank our broader community for your incredible support. RMCAD would not be the same without your participation and collaboration. We have already welcomed nearly 800 members to our new app, RMCAD Connect, well on our way to welcoming 1,500 users by the end of the year. This summer, we were honored to participate in the Colfax Marathon, Denver’s Pride Parade, and Denver Fan Expo. In addition, on Sunday, June 8, twenty fashion design students brought 70 original designs to the runway at this year’s Identity Fashion Showcase. If you were not able to be in attendance at the sold-out show, watch a recap of the remarkable looks here. As we look ahead to the 2025-2026 academic year, I invite all of you to join us for the “Recontextualize Series”, which aims to bring further context to our VASD program, exhibitions, and student symposium.
I would like to close by extending my gratitude to all who read this message. Whether you are located in Colorado or joining us from across the globe, I am so grateful for the impact you make every single day. For anyone interested in learning more about our beautiful campus, I encourage you to look no further than our recent campus tour video. Remember, summer is a time to get out of the house and do more. I’m excited to see your refreshed passion this fall, and I hope you continue to enjoy this beautiful time of year with many trips, creative projects, and memories. Have an incredible rest of your summer!
Stay creative,
Brent Fitch
President, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design
