By Melissa Hoyos
Senior Communications Specialist, City University of Seattle
Rain showers and overcast skies didn’t keep thousands from visiting Key Arena to celebrate City University of Seattle’s 35th commencement ceremony recently.
University President Lee Gorsuch kicked off the June 18 event in downtown Seattle with a poignant tribute to the Class of 2010 for their dedication in a challenging economy and job market.
“The sacrifice and discipline you have shown over the past few years to invest in your education will serve you and your loved ones well in the long run,” Gorsuch said from the podium.
Provost Steven Olswang and CityU of Seattle’s two Deans, Judy Hinrichs of the Albright School of Education and Division of Arts and Sciences and Kurt Kirstein of the School of Management, awarded more than 500 degrees during the ceremony.
Among the distinguished speakers were Tom Clevinger, CityU alumnus, keynote speaker and former board member, and Reid Stell, student speaker and new Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology alumnus. CityU Board of Governors Chair Randy Aliment also recognized retiring board members Vi Tasler and John Mack for their longtime service.
Clevinger shared with graduates how his CityU experiences with teachers and classmates continues to help him in his current position as Navistar’s global parts senior vice president and general manager. The Fortune 250 multi-national company manufactures international branded trucks, diesel engines and school buses worldwide.
“So if you remember the importance of the people around you, literally and metaphorically they are the ones who helped you be successful,” said the Class of 1998 alumnus who earned his leadership and management degree. “And for those who are kinesthetic learners and need to learn by doing, I would like all of you turn to whoever is sitting next to you and say thank you.”
Prior to joining CityU, student speaker Stell lived out a promising career as a filmmaker, publisher and advertising professional. Then, the married father of two decided to pursue a lifelong calling to become a counselor.
Stell credits his success in the Counseling Psychology program to his classmates - a group he made sure to recognize during his speech.
“What I want to acknowledge here today is that you - and me along with you - are graduating not with a piece of paper but with a whole new reinvented self,” he said. “One that allows you to reach for and even attain anything you want.”
Other honored guests included CETYS Universidad Rector Fernando Leon Garcia, CityU’s former International Division Chancellor, and many international-based students who traveled to Seattle from Canada, Mexico, China, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Greece and Czech Republic.
Since the Key Arena graduation, Gorsuch has traveled abroad to visit three CityU commencement ceremonies in Bratislava, Slovakia; Pravetz, Bulgaria and Athens, Greece. For more information and picture of his travels, visit Gorsuch’s official commencement blog.
For more graduation photos and news from our commencement ceremonies around the world, visit the official CityU blog.