Long Beach City College’s (LBCC) 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on Thurs., June 6 in Veterans Memorial Stadium. Singer, actor, performer, and Long Beach Citywide Accessibility Coordinator, Jennifer Kumiyama will deliver the keynote address to the graduating class.

“Commencement is an important milestone for all of our students, regardless of their backgrounds,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, LBCC Superintendent-President. “I’m excited that this year’s keynote speaker, Jennifer Kumiyama, has strong ties with LBCC. She is an accomplished singer who honed her talent with voice lessons right here at LBCC. Jennifer embodies resilience, diversity and the spirit of achievement that so many of our students share, I know her speech will be a great inspiration to us all.”

Kumiyama was born with Arthrogryposis, a condition involving one or more joints that have no or very little mobility. She uses a wheelchair daily. In 2001, Kumiyama’s performances on the television show “Popstars 2” garnered media attention, including Variety Magazine and TV Guide. In 2002, she became the first performer in a wheelchair to be on a Disney stage when she was cast in Disney’s “Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular” at Disney California Adventure Theme Park. She has played Carmen in the Academy Award-nominated film, “The Sessions,” been cast in MTV’s “Awkward” and CBS’s “Celebrity Undercover Boss,” and most recently voiced Dahlia in Disney’s animated feature, “Wish.”

“LBCC received numerous accolades during this past academic year, including the prestigious re-certification of the Seal of Excelencia and recognition as one of the state’s top five community colleges for awarding associate degrees for transfer,” said Vivian Malauulu, Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees President. “But nothing compares to the happiness and excitement we feel when hundreds of students walk across our Commencement stage with their families cheering for them. This year has been marked with numerous achievements, and culminating with an inspiring speech from Jennifer is the perfect finale to the academic year.”

Kumiyama is an impassioned speaker and advocates for the rights and awareness of people living with disabilities. In 2010, she was crowned Ms. Wheelchair California. In 2011, she became the first runner-up for Ms. Wheelchair America and established the Ms. Wheelchair California Foundation.

She has a strong connection to the Long Beach community. In addition to taking classes at LBCC, she also attended California State University Long Beach. She worked for State Senator Lena Gonzalez while she held office as a Long Beach Councilwoman, and for Congressman Robert Garcia while he served as the Mayor of Long Beach. She is currently the Long Beach Citywide Accessibility Coordinator.​

More information about the upcoming ceremony can be found by visiting https://www.lbcc.edu/commencement.