Northern Kentucky University honored more than 1,100 students at its 46th Commencement exercises at BB&T Arena Saturday.
The university held two commencement ceremonies to honor students from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and Human Services, the Haile/US Bank College of Business, the College of Health Professions and the College of Informatics. Thousands of people filled BB&T Arena to celebrate the students’ achievements.
“On behalf of everyone at NKU, I congratulate our graduates on the successful conclusion of their efforts. Commencement also represents the beginning of a new chapter. Many of will begin new careers, while others will earn additional credentials by continuing their education. The possibilities are endless,” said President Ashish Vaidya.
Saturday morning’s ceremony honored nearly 600 graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Human Services.
Andrea Shiverdecker was the featured student speaker in the morning ceremony. Shiverdecker earned her degree in Anthropology from the College of Arts and Sciences. As a non-traditional student, she shared her story of finding her way back to college 18 years after graduating high school. Shiverdecker gained a variety of experience as a research fellow with NKU’s Parker Academy Project and was a member of the Dean’s List every semester since returning to college. Shiverdecker hopes to attend graduate school in the upcoming year to pursue a Ph.D. in Mesoamerican Archaeology.
The afternoon ceremony honored 575 graduates from the Haile/US Bank College of Business, the College of Health Professions and the College of Informatics.
Mitchell Bischoff addressed his fellow graduates the afternoon. Bischoff graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Business and Event Management from the Haile/US Bank College of Business. He began his journey at NKU after transferring from the University of Cincinnati in the fall of 2016. After he became a member of the GAME ON Professional Development program at NKU, Bischoff spent the past four seasons as an equipment assistant for the Cincinnati Bengals. He has worked and volunteered for the Marvin Lewis Community Fund since 2015, helped run NFL Play 60 events at Paul Brown Stadium and worked with the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation.
Chase College of Law Professor David Singleton also shared his thoughts and advice with the morning and afternoon graduates as NKU’s Frank Sinton Milburn Outstanding Professor honoree.
In all, 1,169 graduates were honored. They included students who completed degrees in August, as well as those who completed degrees in December.
