Commencement ceremonies celebrate nearly 1,500 summer, fall graduates

Commencement ceremonies celebrate nearly 1,500 summer, fall graduates

Northwest Missouri State University honored its most recent graduates during two commencement ceremonies Friday in Bearcat Arena, where the departing students received encouragement to "keep showing up" in the boardrooms, classrooms, studios, start-ups and other professional spaces they have yet to imagine.

The commencement day marks a celebration of all the graduates have accomplished, Northwest President Dr. Lance Tatum said during his remarks for graduates and their families.

"In this moment, we celebrate the late nights filled with uncertainty, the early mornings filled with hope and the countless moments in between - moments when you could've given up, but you chose not to," Tatum said. "As you leave this season of your life behind and step into the world that is unpredictable, challenging and sometimes a bit unfair, I want to offer you this simple, yet powerful charge: Just show up."

By doing so, even amid setbacks, disappointments and times of doubt, Tatum suggested, the graduates will build resiliency and perseverance and be transformed.

"Remember, there will be times when the greatest reward isn't the outcome," Tatum said. "It's the growth, the grit and the courage you cultivate along the way. I submit to you that over time, showing up will become your superpower - not perfection, not brilliance - just presence again and again and again. That kind of consistency is what builds movements, launches careers, heals communities and changes lives."

Northwest's commencement ceremonies celebrated 1,497 students - ranging in age from 19 to 68 - who completed degrees last summer and this fall. Northwest awarded 468 bachelor's degrees, 805 master's degrees and 224 education specialist degrees.

Business management was the most common bachelor's degree among the graduates, and education leadership: K-12 was the most common master's degree.

Geographically, the graduates represented 47 states with 63 percent of them hailing from locations in Missouri, while another 20 percent came from the surrounding states of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. The graduates also included 92 international graduates, representing 15 different countries.

About Northwest Missouri State University

Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905, Northwest boasts a graduation rate in the 95th percentile among its peers. Additionally, results of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 78 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 75 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.

Furthermore, the University is a national model for student success and career placement with 93 percent of bachelor's degree earners and 98 percent of master's degree earners securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data.

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers while maintaining competitive tuition rates and generous financial assistance to help minimize the financial barriers students may face when pursuing a college degree.

Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area, a partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation.

The University's vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, saving students an estimated $6,900 over four years. Northwest offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program.

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit https://www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.