Winter 2025 Commencement Program

Prelude and Processional

Beacon Hill Brass

Welcome

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

“America the Beautiful”

Sandy Hodges, Soloist
Martial Besombes, Pianist

Welcome

President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, JD

Greetings

Tim Huebsch, MBA
Minnesota State Board of Trustees

Cindy Harley, PhD
President, Inter-Faculty Organization

Randall Pettersen
Metro State University Student Association Board Member

Kristine Hansen, BA
Director of Alumni Relations

Emeriti

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Outstanding Students

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Student Address

Aparea Smith
President’s Outstanding Student Recipient, College of Community Studies and Public Affairs
Graduate Program

Presentation of Degree Candidates

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Rick Kurtz, PhD
Dean, College of Community Studies and
Public Affairs

Kyle Swanson, PhD
Dean, College of Sciences

Doris Hill, PhD
Dean, College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Paul Spies, PhD
Dean, School of Urban Education

Mark Asplen, PhD
Professor, Name Reader

Sarah Dimick Gray, PhD
Professor, Name Reader

Gwantwa Mwakalundwa, PhD
Associate Professor, Name Reader

Graduate Programs

Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership
Master of Public Administration
Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration Master of Science in Computer Science
Master of Science in Co-occurring Disorders
 Recovery Counseling
Master of Science in Cyber Operations

College of Community Studies and Public Affairs

Bachelor of Applied Science
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Human Services
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Social Work

College of Sciences

Bachelor of Applied Science
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene
Bachelor of Science in Health Systems
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

School of Urban Education

Bachelor of Science

Conferring of Degrees

President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, JD

Closing

President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, JD

Outstanding Students—11 a.m. Program

College of Community Studies and Public Affairs

Undergraduate Recipient
Jay Pee

Undergraduate Finalists

Abbey Knoop
Lizeth Ortega

Graduate Recipient

Aparea Smith

Graduate Finalists

Alex Kise
Stacey Sweeney

College of Sciences

Undergraduate Recipient

Ngawang Gyatso

Undergraduate Finalists

Hoda Ibrahim
Julia (Bahja) Mohamed

Graduate Recipient

Yonathan Maruani

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Graduate Recipient

Brooke Hornseth

Graduate Finalists

Lenora Narloch
Kassie Nelson
Danielle River
Kara Spafford
Victoria Thompson

School of Urban Education

Undergraduate Recipient

Barbara Maas

Undergraduate Finalists

Xenith Ahn Bajenio
Taylor Burtman
Katy Comford
Jul Robinson
Pheng Xiong

Graduate Recipient

Myrna Abrego

Graduate Finalist

Morgan Reimann

Prelude and Processional

Beacon Hill Brass

Welcome

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

“America the Beautiful”

Sandy Hodges, Soloist
Martial Besombes, Pianist

Welcome

President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, JD

Greetings

Tim Huebsch, MBA
Minnesota State Board of Trustees

Cindy Harley, PhD
President, Inter-Faculty Organization

Kami Miller
Metro State University Student Association Board Member

Kristine Hansen, BA
Director of Alumni Relations

Emeriti

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Outstanding Students

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Student Address

Ahou M. D. Ossey
President’s Outstanding Student Recipient, College of Business and Management
Graduate Program

Presentation of Degree Candidates

Amy Gort, PhD
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Rassule Hadidi, PhD
Dean, College of Business and Management

Kristen Lillvis, PhD
Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Charles Tedder, PhD
Dean, College of Individualized Studies

Zarah Moggenberg, PhD
Professor, Name Reader

Ailesha Ringer, PhD
Associate Professor, Name Reader

Graduate Programs

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
Master of Business Administration
Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management
Master of Nonprofit and Public Administration
Master of Science in Individualized
 and Interdisciplinary Studies
Master of Science Management
 Information Systems

College of Business and Management

Bachelor of Science

College of Liberal Arts

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science

College of Individualized Studies

Bachelor of Applied Science
Bachelor of Arts

Conferring of Degrees

President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, JD

Closing

President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur, JD

Outstanding Students—3 p.m. Program

College of Business and Management

Undergraduate Recipient

Christine Ayuya

Graduate Recipient

Ahou M. D. Ossey

Graduate Finalists

Amanda A. Matts
Allex J. Roberge

College of Liberal Arts

Undergraduate Recipient

Liban Hassan

Undergraduate Finalist

Murwo S. Mohamed

Graduate Recipient

Megan Khotko

Graduate Finalist

Xianhui Hu

College of Individualized Studies

Undergraduate Recipient

Jodi M. Pechacek

Undergraduate Finalists

Robert Lee
Donna Madsen