Published April 21, 2017
Watch CSU’s 85th Commencement ceremony on May 6!
(Live feed begins at 9:45 a.m. on May 6; video will remain after ceremony closes).
On Saturday, May 6, Clarks Summit University will hold a Commencement ceremony for the graduating class of 2017. This year marks the university’s 85th Commencement.
This year, 244 graduates will be awarded degrees, including 154 with undergraduate degrees, 54 with master’s degrees and 36 with a master’s or doctoral degree from Baptist Bible Seminary (BBS).
Commencement will begin at 10 a.m. and end at approximately noon. Guests are invited to attend the ceremony in the Recreation Center on CSU’s campus, or they can tune into the live broadcast of the event online.
Long-time faculty member Dennis Wilhite, who will be retiring after this academic year, will speak at the event. Graduating students Kirsten Weber, Zachary Thompson, Melonie Eastham and another student from BBS will also address the audience.
Weber admits, “I am greatly honored to speak to my fellow graduates at Commencement. It will be an incredible experience to share what God has done in my life with the people who I have lived with and studied with these past four years. My hope in sharing this testimony is to give a reminder of the amazing opportunities God has given us during our time here. These experiences have grown and fitted us with the skills that will transfer to our lives ahead. My experiences here at CSU have simply taught me this—if God gives you an opportunity, use it. He is for you, and He is with you.”
Dr. Bill Higley, vice president for academics, adds, “Interestingly, ‘commencement’ literally means ‘a beginning, a start.’ In our culture, commencement has become the traditional academic ceremony where degrees are granted to the graduates of an institution. Thus, it is both a culmination and recognition of a unique accomplishment and it is also the start and launching of a new stage of life—especially in the higher education context. In the special context and mission of CSU, we celebrate what God has done in the lives of our graduates to get them to this point, and we anticipate the future of how God is going to use our graduates for His eternal purposes in the world they are entering.”
Events surrounding Commencement include a reception for graduates and their families, Seminary Wives Celebration and online student graduates’ luncheon.
Graduates, find more details and times related to student events surrounding Commencement here.
