More than 1,400 students were honored Saturday at Northern Kentucky University’s 44th Commencement exercises at BB&T Arena.
Two ceremonies were held. Graduates of the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Health Professions, and the College of Informatics were honored at 10 a.m. Graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Haile/US Bank College of Business were honored at 3 p.m.
The Commencement address was delivered by Dr. Missy Jones, professor of Special Education and recipient of NKU’s Frank Sinton Milburn Outstanding Professor Award. Jones is a teacher, researcher, and founder of NKU’s Supported Higher Education Project (SHEP), which promotes peer mentoring partnerships to expand access for students with intellectual disabilities.
Jones sent the 1,412 graduates out into the world with one final assignment: celebrate the big moments – but savor the small ones, and use them to change the world one step at a time.
“Reflect on ways you have been supported during your life and your time at NKU, and how people helped you along the way. Then make a commitment to pay it forward, spreading kindness to others who may be struggling with their own challenges and barriers,” she said. “One by one, action by action, paying it forward, I truly believe we can change the world. Go forth and do good things.”
Students and their families also heard remarks from NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns, as well as from two of their peers: Jacob Meece in the morning, and Kylie Stigar-Burke in the afternoon.
Meece, who has a hearing disability, delivered his remarks in American Sign Language with the assistance of a voice interpreter. A 2012 graduate of the Kentucky School for the Deaf and valedictorian of his class, Meece graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Electronic Media and Broadcasting and a minor in Media Informatics from NKU. He plans to work as a video producer.
Stigar-Burke has traveled the world through NKU’s study away and study abroad programs, which inspired her to begin blogging. Her work has appeared in publications such as Thought Catalog, The Huffington Post, and Elite Daily. A graduate of Cincinnati’s Roger Bacon High School, Stigar-Burke graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from NKU.
In all, 1,412 graduates were honored on Saturday. They include students who completed degrees in August, as well as those who completed degrees in December. A posthumous degree was also awarded to Kirsten Smithson, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science before she passed away in November 2015.
For more information, visit commencement.nku.edu.