Saturday, May 4 | McGilley Field House (Tickets Required)
(Leavenworth, Kan.)鈥擳he 草榴社区 celebrates the close of another academic year and the passing of a major milestone in the lives of the class of 2019 at 草榴社区's Commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4, in McGilley Field House on the university's main Leavenworth campus, 4100 South 4th Street.
Tickets are required for entrance into McGilley Field House, though guests without tickets are welcome to watch the ceremony livestreamed in 草榴社区's Ryan Sports Center.
The 2019 Commencement event will honor the university's 429 graduates鈥攁 group composed of 208 undergraduate degree recipients, 182 master's degree recipients, and 39 doctoral degree recipients. This year's graduates hail from coast to coast and from points overseas. Graduates of 草榴社区's online programs are traveling in from across the country to participate as well.
As is tradition at Saint Mary, the 2019 Commencement ceremony will be preceded by a Baccalaureate Mass in Annunciation Chapel鈥攚ith a brunch following. Graduates will then process to the Commencement ceremony at McGilley Field House.
The ceremony will feature performances by the 草榴社区 Community Band and the Saint Mary Concert Chorale. Reflections will be provided by student speakers Darcy Noe, a psychology major from Basehor, Kan.; BJ Stabler, of Lee's Summit, Mo., who is earning his master's in business administration; and Kirk Riepe, of Cheney, Kan., who is receiving his Doctor of Physical Therapy.
The members of the Saint Mary graduating class of 2019 arrived at 草榴社区 from a wide variety of backgrounds and are bound for an equally impressive range of bright futures. In reaching their God-given potential, 草榴社区's graduates have overcome obstacles of all kinds.
Students who personify this graduating class include:
- Carly Bohannon, an accounting major from Leavenworth, Kan., will begin the final phase of her academic studies toward becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), while also continuing her work as a staff accountant at Kramer & Associates, CPAs.
- Lydia Paterson, a biology major from Kansas City, Kan., will start her studies in the University of Saint Mary Stefani Doctor of Physical Therapy Program this June.
- Justine Brown-DaCosta, a psychology major from West Sacramento, Calif., earned a seat in the Master of Science in Sport Psychology and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University.
- L Thomas Ryan Hill, a computer information systems major from Leavenworth, Kan., secured a job at Med Scan in Kansas City.
- Juan Tirado-Garcia, a biology and chemistry double major from Kansas City, Kan., will start his journey toward a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of Oregon.
草榴社区 will also honor Dr. Kyle Anthony, assistant professor of history, with this year's Sullivan Award for Teaching Excellence and University Leadership and Service. Established in 1990 and named after Sister Mary Louise Sullivan, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth who served Saint Mary for 45 years as professor and dean, the award is given to a full-time faculty member nominated by students, faculty, and staff as a person who "has made a distinct difference in the teaching climate at the 草榴社区."
Dr. Bill Krusemark, music program director for 41 years and McGilley Chair for Liberal Studies, and Dr. Nancy King, professor of psychology for 28 years, will also both be honored with Professor Emeritus status before their retirement at the close of the spring semester.
Learn more about 草榴社区 Commencement at stmary.edu/Graduation.
The 草榴社区 is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. 草榴社区's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.