It’s graduation season on Idaho college campuses, with ceremonies kicking off last weekend.
Here are some thumbnails (and commencement photos and speech snippets) from across the state.
Boise State University
All told, 3,403 students finished coursework this spring, qualifying for 4,428 degrees and certificates. Boise State handed out degrees during four ceremonies Friday and Saturday at ExtraMile Arena.
“Graduates, Boise State University is better because of you. You are part of the fabric of this institution, woven into its story, its spirit, and its future,” said Jeremiah Shinn, Boise State’s interim president, who will take the University of Montana’s president’s job this summer.
Boise State also held its first-ever separate ceremony for master’s and doctoral graduates.
For the first time, master’s and doctoral graduates celebrated together during their own ceremony.
“You do not have to be OK all the time,” said student speaker Samantha Lords, a master’s graduate in counseling. “We are humans. We are going to make mistakes, and things are going to get messy. Not only is it OK to not be OK, it is empowering to know that you are not alone.”
Idaho State University
“You represent the very reason why our institution exists — you are the focal point of all our efforts,” President Robert Wagner told graduates during Saturday’s ceremonies at the ICCU Dome.
“Idaho State has the special ability to make each and every student feel known, and like they have a place at the university,” said student speaker and graduate Hadley Bodell. “With every new class I stepped foot in, I felt more and more sure of myself that I was in the right place. As cheesy as all of our Bengal taglines might be, ‘Finding your Roar’ here at ISU can feel like coming to a place where you are welcome to learn, grow and be motivated by the people around you.”
University of Idaho
In all, 1,805 U of I students are eligible to graduate statewide.
Ceremonies will begin Saturday on the Moscow campus, with 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. events at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. Boise campus graduates will receive their degrees at 7:30 p.m. Monday, at the Boise Centre, 850 W. Front St. The Idaho Falls ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 20, at the Bennion Student Union, 1784 Science Center Drive.
“Our students learn by doing so that they’re prepared to hit the ground running as graduates,” U of I President Scott Green said. “They’re stepping into a rapidly changing world that needs their ideas, energy and advanced skills to compete.”
Lewis-Clark State College
Ceremonies are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday at the P1FCU Activity Center.
LC State expects to award 966 degrees and certificates to 800 graduates. One graduate is Ann Leug, who will receive a master’s degree in nursing leadership in healthcare — the first master’s degree in LC State’s history.
“This is an incredible moment in history for an incredible institution,” President Cynthia Pemberton said. “I wish Ann and all of our graduates the best of luck as they begin or advance in their professional journeys. Their success is Idaho’s success.”
