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Winter commencement ceremony is set to send 539 graduates into careers
December 13, 2010 —
Students will walk across the stage Friday, Dec. 17, and receive the first reward of their college education.
A total of 539 students will graduate (425 bachelor’s degrees and 114 graduate degrees). This is an increase of 63 students more from last December.
Chris Looney, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, said most degrees are nursing, which is the same as the past several years.
Spring graduation is more common. For example, 828 students graduated last May.
“I only know two people that I am graduating [with],” said Kelly Mundt, creative writing senior.
She said that most of her friends have graduated already or will graduate in the spring.
Mundt said she took classes during the spring so that she didn’t have to attend classes in winter semester.
Janet Rubin, retiring theatre professor, will speak at graduation. She has worked at SVSU for 27 years and directed more than 50 plays.
President Eric Gilbertson will congratulate each student as they come on stage.
“If I had it my way, I wouldn’t be walking,” she said. Mundt said her parents and grandparents wanted to see her do so.
Kristin Hensler, nursing senior, had the opposite reaction.
“After all the time and effort I put into this degree, you couldn’t keep me from walking,” she said. “I’m both excited and nervous to graduate,” said Hensler. “In nursing school we always had this line to fall back on: ‘I don’t know, but let me go get your nurse.’ Now that’s me.”
Hensler has a job lined up at Covenant Pediatrics. She said she might go back to school for her master’s so that she can teach nursing.
Charlie Thomas, professional and technical writing senior, said he is excited for a break from school. He will work parttime jobs until he starts law school next fall.
“I’m a bit nervous just because it’s something I’ve never done before,” said Thomas. “But at the same time, I’m going to be a student again in the next eight months.”
Jamie Morris, history and political science senior, will be working as a cheerleading coach in her hometown of Almont until she finds a job.
She is interested in applying for AmeriCorps. Eventually, she said she would like to move back to Washington, D.C., where she had an internship working in the Holocaust Museum.
“I’m looking for jobs out of state,” she said. “I figure I’m not going to limit myself.”
Mundt, too, said she is looking for jobs out of state. She is sending out resumes to publishing houses across the country.
She said that she looks forward to being able to focus on a job without homework.
“The best part is I can read a book and not have it be for a literature class,” she said.
Mundt, Morris and Thomas said they will celebrate with their families by going out to dinner beforehand.
“I’ll possibly do something after the holidays,” said Hensler. “It’s just too busy before then.”
Mundt said, “The ultimate first thing I’m going to do [after graduation] is absolutely nothing.”
Winter Commencement will be 7:30 p.m., Dec. 17, in the O’Neill Arena of the Ryder Center.