Western Governors University celebrates 2017 graduates

The following local residents have received their degree from Western Governors University. The university held its second commencement ceremony since its 2015 inception at the Smith Center on May 20 and celebrated nearly 400 graduates.

Carson City: Marsha Gipson, Master of Science, Management and Leadership; Deborah Neddenriep, Bachelor of Science, Marketing Management; Lois Linehan, Master of Education, Learning and Technology; Natalie Rehm, Bachelor of Science, Nursing; Travis Truhill, Bachelor of Science, Business Management; Nickolas King, Master of Business Administration; Kayli Sprague, Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction; Heather Horigan, Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction; Robert Merrill, Bachelor of Science, Business Management; Casey Otto, Bachelor of Science, Business Management; Darcy Locken, Bachelor of Science, Accounting; Geoffrey Lawrence, Bachelor of Science, Accounting; Jennifer Cooper, Master of Science, Management and Leadership; Ashleigh Potter, Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction; Christine Tirey of Carson City, Bachelor of Science, Accounting; Jennifer Simkins, Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction; Timothy Galluzi, Bachelor of Science, Business Management.

Dayton: Kayleen Fogleman, Master of Business, Administration; Melissa Carr, Bachelor of Science, Accounting; Lesa Galloway, Bachelor of Science, Accounting; Raymond Medeiros, Bachelor of Science, Business — Information Technology Management; Mark Guinan Bachelor of Science, Health Informatics.

Gardnerville: Nichole Artam, Bachelor of Science, Nursing; Dyanna Hernandez, Master of Science, Management and Leadership; Ashley Koontz, Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction; Dyanna Hernandez, Bachelor of Science, Business — Human Resource Management; Brenda Yenkole, Bachelor of Science, Business — Human Resource Management; Lori McKimmey, Bachelor of Science, Business — Healthcare Management; Heidi Powers, Master of Business Administration; Deborah Nichols-Aronds, Bachelor of Science, Business Management; Launa Curtis, Bachelor of Science, Nursing; Sean McKimmey, Bachelor of Science, Business Management.

Minden: Jennifer Evans, Master of Science, Educational Leadership; Brenda Rodriguez, Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies (K-8); Daniel Parkhurst, Bachelor of Science, IT — Security Emphasis.

Stateline: Elizabeth Cordero, Master of Science, Nursing — Education.

At the commencement, the online, nonprofit university recognized 227 undergraduates and 168 graduates who have completed their degrees in the high-demand career fields of business, information technology, K-12 teacher education, and healthcare, including nursing. Representative Ruben Kihuen of Nevada’s 4th congressional district delivered the commencement address and joined Chancellor Spencer Stewart in honoring the new alumni in attendance and those who joined via live stream.

“WGU Nevada is helping build the next generation of future leaders in our state,” Kihuen said. “I am so proud of the graduates, staff, and faculty for working towards making Nevada a better place. Nevada needs leaders capable of moving our state forward and working to solve the emerging challenges of today’s world. The hard work of these students — some with full time jobs and families — will not go unnoticed. Because of WGU Nevada, these students are prepared for long-term success and will help diversify our workforce.”

Thirty seven percent of this year’s graduates represent the first generation in their family to complete college. The average time to graduation for bachelor’s degrees was 2 years, 1 month and the average time to graduation for graduate programs was 1 year, 7 months. Including this year’s graduating class, WGU Nevada has more than 1,500 alumni to date with a current enrolled student body of over 2,300.

Designed to meet the needs of busy working adults, WGU Nevada’s competency-based model makes it possible for students to set their own study schedules and move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. While WGU Nevada’s online degree programs are rigorous and challenging, adult learners are still able to earn their degrees without sacrificing work, family, and financial obligations. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their studies, finishing faster and saving money.