ISU confers 699 degrees in winter commencement

Dec. 10—On Saturday, hundreds of Indiana State University undergraduates entered Hulman Center as seniors and walked out jubilantly as graduates.

Among them was Halen Noble of Covington, who graduated magna cum laude with a degree in elementary education. He'll start teaching next month in his hometown.

"It feels great," he said, just before commencement. "It's been a long run." He's 25 and took a few years off from college "to find out what I wanted to do."

And he's found it.

He considered career paths in both agriculture and education. "I really liked the education courses, and I've loved it ever since," Noble said.

ISU conferred 699 degrees last weekend in two commencement ceremonies, with graduate students walking across the stage Friday evening.

The graduates are from 34 U.S. states and 11 countries including Saudi Arabia, Germany, Nepal, and Ivory Coast.

As the graduates made their way across the stage, proud families and friends enthusiastically cheered them on. A few audience members used stadium horns, and one audience member shouted, "That's my wife."

ISU President Deborah Curtis congratulated graduates and told them that "ISU is a place where students transform their lives." Wherever they go, she encouraged them to be leaders and to make a positive impact.

She asked them to spread the word about their positive ISU experiences and to "stay connected" to the university.

Student speaker Rebecca Ann Conners, an adult career education major, initially started at ISU in 2008 as a music education major.

"I worked hard, but always fell short. I didn't know how to study, earned mediocre grades at best, and financially it was just not the right time for me," said the 911 telecommunications specialist and trainer.

Over the past 10 years, she's worked several jobs and earned many professional achievements, but the desire to finish her degree never wavered. She returned to ISU in 2021, and on Saturday, she celebrated her achievement and graduation from ISU.

As the 2022 graduates go forward in their lives, Conners urged them to find work-life balance and to "find what you're passionate about, never stop learning and do everything with kindness."

Conners concluded, "Congratulations, Class of 2022. You deserve this! And in the words of the ever-famous Lizzo, 'It's about damn time!'"

Pamela D. Poore, an owner of six McDonald's restaurants in central Indiana, was the undergraduate alumni speaker.

She earned a bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising from ISU and then began working at USA Funds, holding various positions, her last one being a marketing executive.

She referred to the Class of 2022 as "the VIPs" and gave a special shout-out to those who were first-generation college students.

"You have made it through pandemic restrictions, and you made it through virtual classes," she said.

Poore told them to continue to be resilient, because "it doesn't get easier from here. You're going to face challenges, setbacks and moments of failure ... but it's okay."

Resilience will help them meet their goals, she said.

When she started at ISU, Poore was on academic probation. "ISU took a chance on me," she said. But she took advantage of the help that was available, and professors reached out when she struggled.

"ISU believed in me," she said.

Poore encouraged graduates to always have both a Plan A and a Plan B. When her initial post graduation plan didn't work out, she turned to her Plan B, took advantage of opportunities and achieved success.

Among the graduates Saturday was Claire Craigmyle of Terre Haute, who majored in psychology. Craigmyle wants to be an advocate for those with disabilities and hopes to go into occupational therapy.

Craigmyle graduated magna cum laude. "I'm very proud of myself for getting through the undergraduate process and maintaining a high GPA the whole time," Craigmyle said.

Sierra Hamilton of Vevay majored in nursing. Graduating "is amazing," she said. She has accepted a job in the intensive care unit of a hospital.

Also celebrating a degree in nursing was Faustina Ekezie, who came from out-of-state to participate. She took classes online. "It's a dream come true," she said.

State Rep. Tim Brown of Crawfordsville, a longtime supporter of higher education and ISU, receive an honorary doctorate.

Hines Memorial Medals went to Rachel Farmer, Kailey Howell, Anna Kraushaar and Mary Sebastian.

The award recognizes the senior or seniors who have achieved the highest cumulative grade point average on at least 120 semester hours with grades earned in all courses taken at ISU.

The Daniel J. Bradley Medal for Leadership, Scholarship, and Service went to Bayan Samkari.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue