The weather turned out to be perfect as President Troy Paino welcomed graduates, families, friends and members of the Truman community to Stokes Stadium to celebrate Truman State University’s Spring Commencement on May 9, 2015.
During the Commencement Ceremony, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon offered remarks for the graduates, and Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., an astronomer and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, presented the Commencement address.
Consolmagno told graduates that life is making decisions based on inadequate data. “Our lives are the sum of our choices; the sum of the places where we put our faith,” said Consolmagno. “Whether your life leads you to working with Popes or Nobel Laureates or the poor, there is one thing you can believe — you can have faith in the things you learned here; you can have faith in the magic.”
Truman alumnus Joshua Johnston, a Hazelwood (Mo.) Central High School social studies teacher, who was selected as the honoree for the James and Margaret Mudd Teacher Recognition Scholarship, was also introduced during the ceremony. Earlier in the year, Truman’s spring graduates were invited to nominate high school teachers whom they felt made a significant impact on their lives as students, and a selection committee chose Johnston. A $1,000 scholarship will be given in his honor to an incoming Truman student from Hazelwood Central High School.
Near the end of the ceremony, Keith Epperson (’82), vice president of the Truman Alumni Association, instructed the graduates to turn the tassels on their caps signaling their transition from students to Truman’s newest alumni.
Earlier in the week, the Truman Alumni Association held its annual Graduation Picnic for all of Truman’s spring graduates. The Alumni Association also teamed up with Truman’s Graduate Studies Office to host a Graduate Studies Celebration and Social Hour.
Each year at the Graduation Picnic, the Truman Alumni Association presents the University’s most recent graduates with an “alumni” T-shirt to celebrate their new status as they join the group of nearly 60,000 alumni living around the world. The graduates are also invited to get involved with Truman’s regional alumni chapters and clubs which provide a network to bring together Truman alumni, friends and parents who live in a specific geographic region.
During the days leading up to the Commencement Ceremony and on Commencement Day, graduates took time to record this milestone event by taking photos around campus. Some of the most popular spots included the Campus Gates on the north edge of campus, the fountain in front of the Student Union Building, and the restored cupola from Kirk Memorial that now resides by the Ruth Towne Museum, which all provided the perfect backdrop for memorable photos.
Congratulations to all the graduates as they embark on the next part phase of their journey and continue to pursue lives that matter.
View more Commencement Day photos