Sarah Augustine to speak at 127th commencement

Sarah Augustine, the executive director and co-founder of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, will be the keynote speaker at Goshen College’s 127th commencement ceremony on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 3 p.m. in the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center.

Tickets are required for the event, and have been distributed to graduates. The event itself, and the baccalaureate celebration the night before, will be streamed at goshen.edu/livestream.


See the commencement webpage for a full schedule of events and other helpful information about Commencement Weekend.


Sarah Augustine.

Augustine is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, a national coalition with global reach. A senior mediator with over 20 years of experience, she has worked in dispute resolution, strategic planning and advocacy for Indigenous rights. She has represented Indigenous communities to international bodies such as the United Nations, the World Council of Churches, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Augustine previously directed a Dispute Resolution Center in Washington and has served as faculty at multiple institutions, including Goshen College. She chaired the Washington State Redistricting Commission in 2021–22 and served on the Washington State Supreme Court’s Office of Civil Legal Aid Oversight Committee. A regular columnist for Anabaptist World, she is the author of The Land is Not Empty and co-author of So We & Our Children May Live.


Schedule of Goshen College’s 127th Commencement Weekend:

Saturday, April 26
1-5 p.m. — Academic Department Receptions
3:30 p.m. — Nurses’ Pinning Ceremony*, Church-Chapel
7:30 p.m. — Baccalaureate Celebration* and President’s Reception, Music Center, Sauder Concert Hall

Sunday, April 27
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Commencement Brunch, Westlawn Dining Hall. Tickets will be available for purchase.
3 p.m. — 127th Annual Commencement Ceremony*, Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center. Ticket required to attend.

* denotes livestream available at goshen.edu/livestream