Jess Cohen, a history and Black studies double major from Brooklyn, New York, has been chosen as Denison’s student commencement speaker. Cohen will deliver her keynote, “Shared Pasts, Collective Futures,” on behalf of her class on Saturday, May 17, at the 2025 Commencement Ceremony.
Cohen is grateful for the college’s emphasis on fostering deep relationships. “I have cultivated invaluable bonds with faculty, peers, and staff which have enriched my perspective infinitely,” she said. “I look forward to taking these friendships with me beyond The Hill.”
Cohen’s Denison experience exemplifies the liberal arts. Her academic work, focused on the university’s archival collections and Black American history, has resulted in a senior research project, “Rewriting the Antiwar Movement: Black Student Opposition to the Vietnam War on Southern College Campuses.” Cohen’s recent initiation into the Phi Beta Kappa Society is evidence of her academic drive.
Outside the classroom, Cohen is a proud member of Burpee’s Seedy Theatrical Company, the nation’s oldest college improv troupe, which launched at Denison in 1979. She has enjoyed serving as a consultant for the Writing Center and event coordinator for DU Votes, a nonpartisan student organization that advocates for voter education and registration. In addition, Cohen has served as an assistant teacher at the Granville Elementary School. After graduation, she plans to return to New York and pursue a career in public history.