The speakers for the spring 2011 commencement ceremonies have been announced, and a mix of professional intellectuals and students will deliver their words of wisdom.

A group of four diverse students —three undergraduate and one graduate — have been chosen to deliver their speeches at the four ceremonies: the graduate schools ceremony at 5 p.m. on Saturday, the professional schools ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday and the Harpur ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Cory Jankow, senior class council president, explained that the student speakers are selected from the pool of applicants by a committee.

Sharif Khalil, a senior double-majoring in Arabic and accounting, will speak at one of the Harpur College ceremonies. He said he has plans to intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers this summer and will return to Binghamton University in the fall to begin work on a master’s degree in accounting.

Khalil said he views speaking at his graduation as a way to give back to the University.

“I applied because I feel like I’ve taken advantage of a lot of the opportunities that Binghamton has to offer,” Khalil said.

Khalil, who will be the first college graduate in his family, explained that the event is especially meaningful for him.

“It has always been my father and mother’s dream that their children graduate college,” he said. “I am grateful for this opportunity to speak in front of my class and share with them my thoughts and experiences.”

Nathan Satin, a senior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, will speak at the other Harpur College ceremony. He said he plans to begin his graduate degree at BU’s School of Education after graduation.

Satin said being chosen for the event made him realize how much he has changed during his college experience.

“Being chosen to speak at graduation symbolizes the growth I’ve undergone during my at time at BU. If you had told ‘freshman me’ that he would speak in front of 6,000 people — well, he was a loser. He would have been shy and walked away. This is a testament to what BU has given me,” he said.

Satin said he hopes to bring a unique voice to the event.

“I’ve always been someone who has best expressed themselves through writing. I felt like I could bring a level of humor and emotion to the day that my fellow graduates would remember for a long time,” he said.

Nicole Rouhana, a graduate student in the Decker School of Nursing, will give the commencement address at the graduate schools ceremony. Yann Ilboudo, a senior majoring in bioengineering, will speak at the professional schools ceremony.

Terence Keane, Owen Pell and David Orr will receive honorary doctorates at three of the ceremonies.

Keane, who graduated from BU in 1976, will receive an honorary Doctor of Science. Keane is an established researcher of behavioral sciences.

Pell, who graduated from BU in 1980, is a senior partner at White & Case, LLP in New York City. Pell will receive an honorary Doctor of Law.

Orr, an environmental studies and politics professor at Oberlin College, will receive an honorary Doctor of Science.

William Chen, who has taught at BU and is now a senior technical adviser at ASE Group, will receive a University Medal at the professional schools ceremony.

According to information from the University, the University Medal is awarded “in recognition of distinguished service to the University, to higher education and to the larger community.”

Satin expressed that though writing his speech has been a big challenge, he is sure of its most important message.

“I suppose I want to say how important it is to have the courage to express yourself. People, far too often, don’t want to come out with their thoughts or feelings, but stressing what you believe in is what sets you apart. What we believe in and value is who we are,” he said.

Rouhana and Keane will speak at the graduate schools ceremony at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Kahlil and Pell at the Harpur ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Ilboudo and Chen at the professional schools ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday and Satin and Orr at the Harpur ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.