At least one local high school will use artificial intelligence to provide clearer and faster name pronunciation during its graduation ceremony in June.
In an online letter to the school community, Washington-Liberty High School principal Alexander Duncan III said the school has partnered with Tassel to provide better announcements of graduates’ names as they cross the stage to collect diplomas.
“At W-L, we believe that a graduate’s name is far more than just a word. It represents their identity, heritage and years of hard work,” Duncan wrote. “Unfortunately, names are too often mispronounced during commencement ceremonies, which can detract from the milestone moment.”
As a result, the school will shift from names being read by faculty members, a tradition that may date as far back as the school’s first class of graduating seniors in 1927. Both AI and professional name-readers will be utilized “to prioritize cultural nuance, ensuring every name is pronounced exactly as the student intends,” Duncan said in the note.
Students will receive an email from Tassel with instructions to upload their names as they wish them pronounced. If the initial name submission needs adjustment, students can adjust the pronunciation until they are satisfied with the result.
The advance planning is intended to enable names to be read continuously without delay, helping to complete the ceremony before the school’s time slot at the venue runs out.
Tassel provides “all-in-one graduation platforms” with services available pre-ceremony to post-ceremony for both secondary schools and institutions of higher education, according to its website.
The W-L graduation will be held on June 13 at 9 a.m. at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University. Wakefield’s graduation ceremony is slated to follow at the same location at 2 p.m.
Yorktown High School will hold commencement exercises on June 10 at 3 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall. Specialized county schools and programs will hold graduation ceremonies at a variety of venues from June 5-13.
The event at EagleBank Arena will be the first W-L commencement ceremony presided over by Duncan, who was recruited from the Alexandria school system last June to serve as principal of Arlington’s oldest high school.
ARLnow has asked school-system leadership if Tassel’s technology is being used for other 2025 graduation ceremonies, and will update this article when information is received.
