The 1,500-member Class of 2023 – the largest graduating high school class in the United States – became our newest alumni at Brooklyn Tech’s Centennial Commencement on Monday, June 26^th at the Barclays Center. The arena was filled with 10,000 attendees, including proudly celebrating family and friends, Tech faculty and administrators, Alumni Foundation Board members, elected officials, and New York City Department of Education executives.

Marking his own 50^th anniversary of his graduation from Tech, Lanny Smoot ’73, an electrical engineer, inventor, and theatrical technology creator, served as the commencement keynote speaker. With 103 patents and counting, Lanny not only has created a great deal of Disney’s magic but is the entertainment company’s all-time most prolific inventor – and one of the most prolific Black inventors in American history. “Receiving a degree from this school sets you apart from graduates of every high school in this country,” he told the Class of 2023. “You should always remember that. You have a unique pedigree which will distinguish you for the rest of your lives.”