Wright State celebrates 74th commencement

Applications were received for 1,588 degrees, including 15 associate degrees, 839 bachelor’s degrees, 691 master’s degrees, 25 philosophy doctorates, 17 psychology doctorates and one nursing practice doctorate.

Today was a day of celebration and accomplishment for the more than 1,500 students who earned their degrees at Wright State’s 74th semiannual commencement.

Among the sea of green graduation gowns in the Wright State Nutter Center were a few festively-decorated mortarboards. Creatively embellishing these ceremonial hats has become a tradition for college graduates across the country.

Some glittered with sequins. A few education graduates sported apples on their mortarboards. Many bore hand-lettered signs saying “I love you Mom & Dad” or, simply, “Bye WSU.”

A few graduates went all out.

“I covered my hat with pictures and my husband helped me put lights—green lights—all over it,” Jennifer Barbee-Crim, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, said prior to the morning ceremony.

Barbee-Crim began college as a mass communication major, knowing she wanted a career that allowed her to interact with people. But her plans changed after her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer.

Her interaction with hospice nurses caring for her grandfather and with a friend in Wright State’s nursing program convinced her to change her major.

“I knew that I wanted to communicate with people and make a big difference,” she said. “Nursing is perfect for that.”

Also sitting in the College of Nursing and Health section at commencement was Slyvie Inshuti. Like Barbee-Crim, Inshuti found her calling after fate dealt her a difficult hand.

Inshuti fled her native Rwanda during the country’s 1994 genocide. She and her husband spent years as refugees in various African countries.

During this time, Inshuti volunteered as an interpreter for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She helped refugees fill out applications for asylum and interpreted during resettlement interviews and counseling sessions.

“Working with refugees, I saw many people who lost their life without preventive care,” Inshuti said. She decided to pursue a nursing career to teach others about preventing illness. She took courses when she could at universities in Ghana and Burkina Faso.

But it’s difficult to pursue an education when you don’t have a country, she said.

After being resettled in Dayton, Inshuti was finally able to pursue her bachelor’s degree in nursing. It was a hard journey and she was excited to be crossing the finish line at last.

“The nursing program is not an easy one,” she said.

Not every student comes to college with a clear understanding of the path he or she wants to take. Sarah Hameed transferred from Ohio State without a decided major. She credits her Wright State advisors with helping her find the direction that was right for her.

“They helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life and then recommended organizational leadership,” said Hameed, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science. “They made it quick and easy to transfer my credits. I was in the program in just two weeks and was able to finish in less than a year here.”

Hameed said the quality and accessibility of the Wright State faculty impressed her. She plans to earn a master’s degree and is even considering a career as a professor herself.

Regardless of their individual stories, each student worked hard to get to commencement.  As the three women and their classmates stepped up to receive their degrees, they met the cheers of families and friends with beaming faces—and, no doubt, quiet sighs of relief.

“Everyone has been waiting for this,” said Barbee-Crim.

By the Numbers

• Applications were received for 1,588 degrees, including 15 associate degrees, 839 bachelor’s degrees, 691 master’s degrees, 25 philosophy doctorates, 17 psychology doctorates and one nursing practice doctorate.

• 54.6% of the graduating class are female.

• Including Ohio, the graduating students hail from 23 states.

• The class includes 107 international students representing 20 countries.

• 16 students graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

• The youngest graduate is 20 years old and the oldest is 66.