{"id":144648,"date":"2023-12-16T10:41:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T15:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=144648"},"modified":"2023-12-18T13:24:31","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T18:24:31","slug":"more-than-900-students-graduate-at-wright-states-fall-commencement-ceremonies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2023\/12\/16\/more-than-900-students-graduate-at-wright-states-fall-commencement-ceremonies\/","title":{"rendered":"More than 900 students graduate at Wright State\u2019s fall commencement ceremonies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2023\/12\/16\/more-than-900-students-graduate-at-wright-states-fall-commencement-ceremonies\/2023-commencement-63989_345\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-144678\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-144678\" src=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2023\/12\/2023-commencement-63989_345-508x339.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"460\" height=\"307\" \/><\/a>More than 900 students graduated during Wright State University\u2019s fall commencement ceremonies in the Wright State University Nutter Center Friday, Dec. 15, and Saturday, Dec. 16.<\/p>\n<p>The 936 graduates joined more than 120,000 alumni who are making a difference throughout Raider Country, all over Ohio, across the nation and around the world.<\/p>\n<p>Commencement featured a short congratulatory video from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who said, \u201cThe state of Ohio and the Dayton region need Wright State graduates like you. We succeed when you succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wright State President Sue Edwards, Ph.D., addressed the fall and summer classes of 2023, urging students, family and friends to savor the accomplishment of earning a college degree and continue their drive toward the next adventure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have faced your challenges and triumphed to get to this point. However, I&#8217;m sure that you did not do it alone,\u201d said Edwards. \u201cYou were no doubt helped, supported, and encouraged by people who care for you deeply, such as your family, friends, faculty, advisors, staff and mentors. So, please consider the people who have supported and helped you to reach this point. They are proud of you. Today take a moment to acknowledge those who have invested in you, believed in you, and given so much to you as you have been on this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2023\/12\/18\/wright-states-fall-2023-commencement-ceremonies-in-photos\/\">View photos from the fall commencement ceremonies &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Edwards encouraged graduates to embrace the unique circumstances that brought them to this achievement and approach future opportunities with the same positive attitude, grit and determination that they used to earn their degrees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow is the time to look towards new beginnings. Just as there is no singular path that brings every graduate here today, there is also no single answer for which path you will take next,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat will you do? Your choices and hard work have just led you to complete one chapter of your story. But what chapter comes next? Each of you is writing your life story as you navigate your lives and the lives of those you impact.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, set your sights on the brightest of futures. Visualize where you are going and make a plan for turning that vision into your new reality. Go out there and always be your best and show the world just what Wright State Raiders are truly made of! I am so incredibly proud of your achievements,\u201d said Edwards.<\/p>\n<p>The summer and fall classes of 2023 included graduates with 530 bachelor\u2019s degrees, 376 master\u2019s degrees, 36 doctoral degrees and 13 associate degrees.<\/p>\n<p>The classes included 180 international students from 18 different countries. India boasted the largest number of international graduates, with 145.<\/p>\n<p>The youngest graduating student was 18, earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in mathematics. The oldest graduate was 66, earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in organizational leadership.<\/p>\n<p>Graduates by college:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>College of Engineering and Computer Science: 255<\/li>\n<li>College of Health, Education and Human Services: 204<\/li>\n<li>College of Liberal Arts: 96<\/li>\n<li>College of Science and Mathematics: 122<\/li>\n<li>Raj Soin College of Business: 183<\/li>\n<li>Lake Campus: 36<\/li>\n<li>Boonshoft School of Medicine: 61<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Notable 2023 graduates<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_144371\" style=\"width: 470px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2023\/12\/11\/more-than-900-students-to-graduate-at-wright-states-fall-commencement-ceremonies\/62439-dennis-bova-yakai-kamara-student-profile-9-12-22-3\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-144371\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144371\" class=\"size-large wp-image-144371\" src=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2023\/12\/Yakai-Kamara-62439_010-508x339.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"460\" height=\"307\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-144371\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yakai Kamara graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in public health and a bachelor\u2019s degree in organizational leadership<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Yakai Kamara<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Yakai Kamara graduated with a <a href=\"https:\/\/medicine.wright.edu\/population-and-public-health-sciences\/bachelor-of-science-in-public-health\">bachelor\u2019s degree in public health<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/health-education-human-services.wright.edu\/leadership-studies-in-education-and-organizations\/bachelor-of-science-in-organizational-leadership\">bachelor\u2019s degree in organizational leadership<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/science-math.wright.edu\/biology\/biological-sciences-minor\">minor in biological sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Kamara transferred to Wright State during COVID-19. The pandemic and her being in an earlier health crisis in her native country represent why she enrolled at Wright State. That, and to be among others who, like her, love other cultures and entrepreneurial spirit.<\/p>\n<p>Originally from Sierra Leone in western Africa, Kamara moved with her family to Columbus when she was 14. Kamara recalls when her native country was hit with the Ebola health crisis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiving through Ebola was terrible,\u201d she said. \u201cI saw a lot of people die. No one close to me did, but we were all worried for our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After high school, Kamara enrolled at a college near Columbus but soon wanted something different.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt that time, it didn\u2019t have enough diversity \u2014 there was no one like me,\u201d Kamara said. \u201cI wanted a college close to my family in Columbus that was diverse and with a variety of majors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A friend who was in Wright State\u2019s African Student Union offered to give Kamara a personal tour. She liked what she heard about Wright State, and what she saw \u2014 especially the tunnel system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I transferred, I was a biology major, but I took a global public health class, and that became my true passion. I want to do research and become an epidemiologist,\u201d Kamara said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLater I added organizational leadership because I wanted to learn leadership skills.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Central to her motivation in her areas of study is the low level of public health \u2014 especially in the area of maternal health \u2014 in Sierra Leone. She wants to eventually do something to improve those conditions.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_144370\" style=\"width: 470px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2023\/12\/11\/more-than-900-students-to-graduate-at-wright-states-fall-commencement-ceremonies\/66966-jeremy-keller-fall-appeal-student-sydney-woods-9-29-23\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-144370\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144370\" class=\"size-large wp-image-144370\" src=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2023\/12\/Sydney-Woods-66966_002-508x339.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"460\" height=\"307\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-144370\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sydney Woods graduated with a master\u2019s degree in computer science.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Sydney Woods<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Sydney Woods is driven. Not just by her pursuit of a <a href=\"https:\/\/engineering-computer-science.wright.edu\/computer-science-and-engineering\/master-of-science-in-computer-science\">master\u2019s degree in computer science<\/a> but by a broader calling that will not let go of her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have a constant curiosity that is only temporarily satisfied by finding the answer to the current question on my mind,\u201d said Woods. \u201cIt drives me in everything I do; my need to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Woods likes to collect tools to help her understand many things, including mathematics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cComputer science can be very useful when working with complex mathematical problems,\u201d said Woods, who also graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in mathematics from Wright State in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Over her time as a Wright State student, Woods has changed personally in many ways. Whether it be through obtaining a driver\u2019s license, overcoming the loss of loved ones, navigating new friendships, or her discovering new abilities and passions within herself, she said her growth at Wright State has been meaningful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;m so proud of how far I&#8217;ve come since I first stepped foot on campus,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Woods remembers fondly many people who have helped her at Wright State, including those she credits with leaving a lasting impression on her as a student and a person.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ve learned that being curious is not a bad thing. It&#8217;s something to be proud of,\u201d said Woods.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;m thankful that I took the class with that professor that told me this. I think I knew it when I was younger, and just forgot it as I grew up, so that reminder was really important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After graduation, Woods will start a new job at a local data analytics firm that supports defense contractors and the Department of Defense on projects relating to national security.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Carl Foster<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_144367\" style=\"width: 224px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2023\/12\/11\/more-than-900-students-to-graduate-at-wright-states-fall-commencement-ceremonies\/14181-becky-valekis-student-development-officer-carl-foster-8-12-14-3\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-144367\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144367\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-144367\" src=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/files\/2023\/12\/Carl-Foster-14181_585-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-144367\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carl Foster graduated with a master\u2019s degree in educational leadership.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Carl Foster\u2019s walk across the stage at fall commencement marked the culmination of a long, difficult journey that included the foster care system, homelessness and a lack of family support.<\/p>\n<p>But he persevered and looks forward to the next part of his life\u2019s journey \u2014 helping young people who are facing the same challenges he did.<\/p>\n<p>Foster received a <a href=\"https:\/\/health-education-human-services.wright.edu\/leadership-studies-in-education-and-organizations\/master-of-education-in-student-affairs-in-higher-education-administration\">master\u2019s degree in educational leadership<\/a>. He also earned a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/liberal-arts.wright.edu\/social-sciences-and-international-studies\/bachelor-of-arts-in-sociology\">bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology<\/a>\u00a0from Wright State in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Foster\u2019s story starts in his native Pontiac, Michigan, where he was born to a single teenage mother. He faced many challenges growing up, including poverty and family issues. He was placed in a group home and lived in various residential facilities until he was 18. During that time, he dropped out of high school and worked for various restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>When he was 20, he moved to Dayton to go into Job Corps and earned a GED diploma and a culinary arts certificate.<\/p>\n<p>He received help with housing and completing paperwork for college admissions through the staff at Job Corps. He lived within walking distance of Sinclair Community College, so he enrolled there and earned an associate degree in hospitality management to align with his culinary studies.<\/p>\n<p>His next step was Wright State, where he also earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Foster is a success coach at Dayton Public Schools. He helps students and often empathizes with their circumstances because he lived in similar situations when he was their age.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo when I talk to the students, I have a great deal of empathy,\u201d said Foster.<\/p>\n<p>Foster understands the problems some people face because, he said, \u201cSome study it, some lived it, and I\u2019ve done both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m looking into a position to put me on the pathway to becoming a high school principal,\u201d he said. \u201cIf that means becoming a counselor or substitute teaching, whatever pathway to be a principal or work for a college with programs like Upward Bound and ISN\u2014 Independent Scholar Network \u2014 as a coordinator or director.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wright State University honored 936 graduating students during its fall commencement ceremonies in the Wright State Nutter Center Dec. 15 and 16. <a href=\"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2023\/12\/16\/more-than-900-students-graduate-at-wright-states-fall-commencement-ceremonies\/\" class=\"morelink\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":144678,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,733,4309,729,748,2107,743,2060,744,725,2045,731,747,2016,715,746,2119,2061],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-144648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-alumni-association","category-around-campus","category-business","category-commencement","category-engineering-computer-science","category-graduate","category-education-human-services","category-home-news-sidebar","category-honors-program","category-lake-campus","category-liberal-arts","category-medicine","category-news","category-science-mathematics","category-university-college","category-undergraduate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144648"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144865,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144648\/revisions\/144865"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}