Wartburg College will recognize 347 graduates from the Class of 2015 during its 163rd Spring Commencement ceremonies Sunday, May 24.
Commencement will begin at 1:30 pm. in Hoover Fieldhouse & Track in the Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center. It is free and open to the community. A reception for graduates, their families and friends will follow.
The May and August graduates include 30 international students from 22 different countries; thirteen states also will be represented. Thirty-six members of the Class of 2015 graduated in December.
Wartburg President Darrel Colson will give the charge to the class. The student speaker will be Nicole Harrison, a psychology major from Rochester, Minnesota, and a Dean’s Cord recipient with one of the top 40 cumulative GPAs in her class. The lacrosse captain is president of Wartburg Ambassadors, Psi Chi honor society and Psychology Club as well a member of Students Uknight and the Phi Eta Sigma honor society. She also completed a summer research internship at Mayo Clinic.
Linda Ferjak, director of vocal music in grades seven through 12 at Bishop Garrigan Schools in Algona, and Cory McDonald, who teaches U.S. government, civics, world history and contemporary affairs at New Hampton High School, will be honored as outstanding high school teachers. Members of the Class of 2015 nominated them for significantly influencing their education.
The academic procession, led by faculty marshals Todd Reiher, professor of psychology, and Ann Henninger, professor of biology, will begin the Commencement ceremony.
International students bearing the flags of their countries, emeriti faculty, current faculty members, members of the Class of 1965, the graduating class and platform party will join the procession.
Commencement Weekend events that are free and open to the public include:
- Senior Art Exhibit — 9 a.m.-7 p.m., daily, Waldemar A. Schmidt Art Gallery, Bachman Fine Arts Center.
- May Term Band Concert — Saturday, May 23, 6:30 p.m., South Campus Mall (rain site is McCaskey Lyceum).
- Baccalaureate — The Rev. Ramona Bouzard, dean of the chapel and the Moehlmann Chaplaincy Chair, will deliver the message, Sunday, May 24, 10 a.m., Hoover Fieldhouse & Track.
- Pre-Commencement Concert — May Term Band, Sunday, May 24, 1 p.m., Hoover Fieldhouse & Track.