The University of Guam is expected to confer degrees on 198 students during its Fanuchånan (Fall) 2025 Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at the UOG Calvo Field House. The graduating class includes 134 students earning bachelor’s degrees and 64 earning master’s degrees, according to the university.
Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and visual storyteller Manny Crisostomo will deliver the commencement address. Crisostomo, known for documenting Pacific Islander cultures and the lives of CHamorus in Guam and the diaspora, is returning to UOG as a commencement speaker for the second time. He previously addressed the graduating class of 1989, the same year he won the Pulitzer Prize for his photo essay published in the Detroit Free Press.
Crisostomo’s career includes national and international recognition such as the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his photo documentary on Hmong refugees, “The Leftover People.” He is also the author of several photography books, including Legacy of Guam: I Kustumbren Chamoru and Journeys to the Heart: Pacific Islanders Celebrate Their Indigenous Cultures, with a redesigned second edition released in 2024.
During the ceremony, international human rights lawyer and author Julian Aguon will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Aguon, founder of Blue Ocean Law, is recognized for his work in climate justice, decolonization and Indigenous rights. Attendance is by ticket only, and the ceremony will be livestreamed on the UOG YouTube channel and Facebook page.