| |
(Leavenworth, Kan.)—Despite
the threat of rain and a tornado warning
to the south, the newest class of Saint
Marians was able to make the traditional
outdoor procession across the Leavenworth
campus on Saturday, May 10, and graduate
before a crowd of 2,000, the largest
commencement crowed to date at McGilley
Field House.
Of the 275 students graduating
this year, 130 received bachelor’s degrees,
144 received master’s degrees,
and one received an associate’s
degree. 155 participated in the commencement
ceremony. Three graduates, Jay Arthur,
Lynda McClelland, and Bonaventure Fon
Ndifor, offered student reflections on
their Saint Mary experience.
“Fear is the only enemy I will
ever face,” said McClelland, of
Kansas City, Kan., who represented the
undergraduate degree-completion students. “My
prayer is that [we] never have fear to
prevent us from reaching our God given
potential,” she added.
This was the first time
since 1994 that Saint Mary graduated
nursing students.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program
was launched in 2006 to help address
the nation’s critical nursing shortage.
Thirty-four nursing students comprised
USM’s Nursing Class of 2008. In
April, the nursing program received a
five-year accreditation from the Commission
on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
One graduate stepped foot on the Leavenworth
campus for the first time, having completed
her Master of Arts in Teaching degree
completely online from Anaheim, Calif.
Resident international students from
Brazil, West Africa, Canada, Great Britain
and Trinidad and Tobago also graduated.
The University of Saint
Mary also honored a faculty member
and administrator during
commencement. Dr. Patricia Carnahan,
associate professor of education, received
the Sullivan Award for Teaching Excellence,
the university’s highest teaching
honor.
A special honor was bestowed upon retiring
Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs
Dr. Sandra Van Hoose. Dr. Van Hoose was
named professor emerita of education,
a life-long honor, given to distinguished
full-time faculty upon retirement. She
has worked at the University of Saint
Mary for 28 years, serving the past decade
as academic vice president and dean.
Her previous posts include interim president,
chair of the education department, graduate
faculty, professor of education, associate
academic dean, assistant dean for records
and adult programs, and registrar. Dr.
Van Hoose retires on June 30, 2008.
The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic
applied liberal arts university founded
and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity
of Leavenworth. The main campus is located
at 4100 South 4th Street in Leavenworth,
Kan. Saint Mary offers accelerated graduate
and degree-completion programs at three
additional locations in Overland Park,
Shawnee, and Kansas City, Kan. Visit
www.stmary.edu for more information.
|
