Commencement 2025
Commencement 2025 took place Sunday, May 18, 2025 in Ed Robson Arena on the CC campus. Mike Shum '07 presented the Commencement address. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
SPEAKERS
Commencement
The College is pleased to welcome Mike Shum ’07 back to campus to deliver the 2025 Commencement address.
Mike Shum is an award-winning independent filmmaker specializing in documentary cinematography and journalism. Born in Denver, Colorado, to immigrant parents from Hong Kong, Shum was shaped by navigating multiple cultural perspectives through his Asian American upbringing. A 2007 graduate of Colorado College, he majored in Sociology while also pursuing minors in Film Studies and African Studies.
Shum’s education laid the foundation for his career starting out in video news reporting. He covered stories ranging from the rise of the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo to a survivor of an ISIS massacre in Iraq which garnered him his first News & Documentary Emmy nomination for Outstanding Interview. He has witnessed the most pressing global events of the past decade with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and National Geographic.
His body of work spans broadcast television, investigative journalism, and feature documentaries. As a producer and director of photography for the film, Hondros, he paid tribute to the life and work of war photographer Chris Hondros, which was distributed by Netflix following its premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. His collaborations with Al Jazeera Witness and PBS Frontline have examined a broad range of critical issues, including conflict, climate change, and political polarization. Shum’s work has been recognized with nominations and awards from the National News & Documentary Emmys, the NAACP Image Awards, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Tribeca Film Festival’s Audience Award, and the Nieman Foundation’s Worth Bingham Prize.
Shum returned to Colorado Springs for the 2023 Spring Semester 7th Block as a visiting instructor in Colorado College’s Sociology Department. He was later awarded the Colorado College Alumni Association’s prestigious Spirit of Adventure Award for his commitment to a life of intellectual, social, and physical adventure.
In 2024, Shum was awarded the Nieman Fellowship for Journalism at Harvard University, where he is exploring the future of journalism and examining how storytelling can forge public trust and accountability through documentary film.
Baccalaureate
Eric Popkin, Associate Professor of Sociology, has been nominated by this year’s senior class to deliver the 2025 Baccalaureate address. Popkin has extensive experience teaching and designing community-engaged courses and programs from Colorado Springs to the American Southwest, the U.S.-Mexican border, and Latin America. He is the founding director of the Colorado College Social Action Institute, which has placed approximately 100 students in social action internships focused on immigrant rights, community and labor organizing, and environmental justice. He was also co-founder and initial director of the Collaborative for Community Engagement, which has helped hundreds of students become more socially aware and equipped to improve the lives of those around them.
In their nominations, students recognized Popkin’s ability to convey the realities of global inequality with compassion and understanding. They also appreciated his meaningful support outside of academic settings, as an advisor for Jewish Voice for Peace and an advocate for students of color, undocumented or minimally documented students and families, queer students, and other marginalized groups.
Popkin’s roles at CC have also included Chair of the Sociology Department, Dean of Summer Programs, and Associate Dean of Global, Community, and Summer Programs. He was previously the Joanne Woodward Chair of Public Policy at Sarah Lawrence College, where he established the first U.S. liberal arts college semester program with the University of Havana, Cuba — a program that continues today.
Before his academic career, Popkin was founding director of the Wisconsin Interfaith Committee on Central America, where he led numerous congressional delegations and advocated for health care and educational programs in conflicted regions of El Salvador and Guatemala.
Honorary Degrees
Also at Commencement, Colorado College will confer honorary degrees upon the following notable individuals:
Ben Sturgulewski '08
Ben ‘Sturge’ Sturgulewski grew up on a rugged and remote island in Alaska’s Aleutian Chain, inspiring a life dedicated to the exploration of the world’s wild side and the people who call it home. Ben has created a portfolio of award-winning short films that have appeared in festivals around the globe, taking home dozens of awards for cinematography, editing, creativity, and storytelling — as well as overall Grand Prizes and Audience Awards. He has directed, filmed and edited acclaimed content for clients such as Patagonia, Arcteryx, YETI, Rivian, NFL Films, and Red Bull. Ben has produced a library of Vimeo Staff Picks, and his ski film Valhalla was recently named "The Greatest Ski Film of All Time" by Outside magazine. His collaborations with brands, agencies, production houses, and passion projects continue to take him on new and unexpected adventures around the world. Champions of the Golden Valley, his first feature documentary, follows a ski team in Afghanistan both before and after the collapse of the country. The film had its World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in 2024, and has since screened at dozens of renowned film festivals worldwide, amassing over 20 jury and audience awards. When not on the move, Ben splits his time between the mountains of Anchorage, Alaska, and Boulder, Colorado.
Jeff Bieri
Jeff Bieri dedicated 35 years to KRCC, Colorado Public Radio’s Colorado Springs station, retiring in January 2025. A Colorado native, he ventured briefly to New Mexico during his "wandering years" before his love for music drew him to KRCC in 1989. Over decades, he shaped the station as Music Director and Program Director, hosting a range of programs — from music shows to NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His voice filled nearly every day-part slot, showcasing his versatility.
Bieri fueled KRCC’s mission with zeal, leading over 100 membership drives to rally public support. His community focus anchored KRCC’s 2020 merger with Colorado Public Radio, earning him a promotion to station manager. In that role, he solidified the station’s vital place in Southern Colorado. He enriched Colorado Springs’ culture, having hosted the "Blue Plate Special," a lunch-hour blues show that grew into the beloved Blues Under the Bridge festival. He also produced numerous live concerts, and co-founded the MeadowGrass Music Festival, a Memorial Day weekend staple at La Foret in Black Forest. His efforts wove music and community into KRCC’s fabric. His retirement closed a chapter, but his legacy — rooted in musical passion, community engagement, and steadfast commitment to public broadcasting — endures.
Steve Wood '84
Steve graduated from CC in 1984 and has worked in Colorado Springs on a variety of community projects since then, including community work with at-risk teens through Workout Ltd., outdoor experiential education with the Colorado Outward Bound School, and art education with CC's Bemis School of Art.
In 2003, Steve co-founded the non-profit Concrete Couch where he still works today. The organization's mission is creative community building, set in a CC block structure. “The Couch” has served thousands of people in the area through free programming that connects and improves our community. The CC community is actively involved in Couch programming, from students to faculty to staff, retired staff, and alumni.