MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Before the pomp and circumstance of commencement weekend gets underway at West Virginia University, preparation work continues.
“Our office has been very busy along with a lot of the other departments around campus. We’re all commencement all the time,” laughed April Kaull, Assistant Director of University Relations News.
The university will host 17 separate commencement ceremonies for 4,410 graduates over three days beginning Friday.
“Whether that’s an undergraduate degree, whether that is a graduate level degree, I think they’re really focused on finding, along with the university’s help, the best path to help them reach the goals that they have,” Kaull said.
The number of graduates has gone up in every degree category with the largest jump in undergraduate degree holders. This May, 323 more students will leave with a 4-year degree over May 2014.
WVU has offered a number of new services for graduates. Thursday, President Gordon Gee is hosting a send-off Thursday evening farewell event set for 7-8:30 p.m. May 14 at the WVU Coliseum.
University relations snapped free graduation photos for seniors in front of the Health Sciences Center Pylons or at Woodburn. Student overwhelmingly took advantage of the first-come-first-serve sessions.
“It was really an opportunity to give those graduates a professional photograph they can use as they move into the next phase of their life,” explained Kaull.
Graduates represent 45 states and Puerto Rico and 43 other countries across the globe.
A marketing measure highlighting individual and unique WVU graduate stories has garnered national attention.
“This is a place where a challenge is an opportunity. So many of our students and our graduates just grab on to that opportunity and run with it,” described Kaull “Those are the stories that I think sometimes get overlooked.”
For instance, Anthony Brutto, 94, started his college career in the 1940’s and is finishing up 7 decades later.
Zevi Lowenberg is an Air Force chaplain, a rabbi and exceptional student also featured in WVU’s Chronicles.
Four men and women will receive honorary degrees from WVU, including former West Virginia Delegates, representing Monongalia County, Charlene Marshall.
There will be 2,863 undergraduate degree recipients, 1,160 graduate degree recipients and 387 professional degree graduates.