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Home , Jared Polis, Lou Leon Guerrero

Summer Virtual Commencement

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2020 Our Mission

The principal mission of Western Governors University is to improve quality and expand access to post-secondary education opportunities by providing a means for individuals to learn independent of time or place and to earn competency-based degrees and other credentials that are credible to both academic institutions and employers.

Our Promise

We help our students achieve their dreams for a degree and career success by providing a personal, flexible, and affordable education based on real-world competencies.

wgu.edu Message from the President

Dear Graduates,

On behalf of all of us at WGU, I want to congratulate you and welcome you to our commencement celebration. We recognize and respect the hard work and sacrifices you have made to complete your degree, and today is your day to celebrate this important milestone in your life.

We share your excitement and pride in this achievement—one that has the potential to make a real difference for you, your family, and even future generations. As you join the ranks of the more than 195,000 WGU graduates, we hope you will stay in touch through the Alumni Network.

Again, thank you for joining us today. We are so grateful for the opportunity to share this day with you and your loved ones. Congratulations!

Scott D. Pulsipher, President Western Governors University Commencement Speaker

Natalie Williams 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist and Four-Time WNBA All-Star

Natalie Williams’ love of sports and drive to succeed have opened doors of opportunity, not only for herself, but for the young people she mentors as well. After spending her high school career competing in basketball, volleyball, softball, and track at Taylorsville High School in Utah, Natalie played volleyball and basketball for UCLA where she helped the team win multiple titles. She then played basketball professionally for nine years in the American Basketball League (ABL) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Natalie was named to the USA Women’s National Basketball Team in 1998. Together they won three gold medals—two at the 1998 and 2002 World Championships, and an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In 2016, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. As a high school and club team coach, Natalie has taken her passion for sports and used it to train and encourage young athletes to reach their full potential, sharing not only her stellar basketball skills but important life lessons as well. She believes it is her life’s work to give back to the community and share the knowledge she has gained from her incredible life experiences. Virtual Ceremony Program

OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT Richard Benbow Regional Vice President

NATIONAL ANTHEM Ashley Ferguson, Kent, WA Master of Business Administration

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS Scott Pulsipher President

GRADUATE SPEAKERS Aileen Richards, Vona, CO Master of Education, Learning and Technology Armando Martinez, Bakersfield, CA Bachelor of Science, Cloud and Systems Administration

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS Natalie Williams 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist and Four-Time WNBA All-Star

MASTER’S CONFERRAL OF DEGREES Tonya Drake Regional Vice President and WGU Washington Chancellor

BACHELOR’S CONFERRAL OF DEGREES Tonya Drake

CLOSING REMARKS Scott Pulsipher Conferral of Degrees

MASTER’S DEGREES BACHELOR’S DEGREES College of Business: College of Business: M.S. Accounting B.S. Accounting M.S. Management and Leadership B.S. Business - Healthcare Management Master of Business Administration B.S. Business - Human Resource Management MBA, Healthcare Management B.S. Business - Information MBA, IT Management Technology Management B.S. Business Administration - Management College of Health Professions: B.S. Business Management M.S. Nursing - Education B.S. Marketing Management M.S. Nursing - Leadership and Management B.S. Sales and Sales Management M.S. Nursing - Nursing Informatics Master of Health Leadership College of Health Professions: B.S. Health Information Management College of Information Technology: B.S. Nursing M.S. Cybersecurity and Information Assurance M.S. Data Analytics College of Information Technology: M.S. Information Technology Management B.S. Cloud and Systems Administration B.S. Computer Science Teachers College: B.S. Cybersecurity and Information Assurance M.A. English Language Learning B.S. Data Management/Data Analytics M.A. Mathematics Education B.S. Information Technology M.A. Mathematics Education - Middle Grades B.S. IT - Networks Administration Emphasis M.A. Mathematics Education - Secondary B.S. Network Operations and Security M.A. Science Education - Secondary B.S. Software Development Biological Science M.A. Science Education - Secondary Teachers College: Earth Science B.A. Educational Studies M.A. Teaching, Elementary Education B.A. Elementary Education M.A. Teaching, English Education B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies M.A. Teaching, English Education - Secondary B.A. Mathematics M.A. Teaching, Mathematics Education B.A. Science - Bio M.A. Teaching, Mathematics B.A. Science - Chemistry Education Secondary B.A. Special Education M.A. Teaching, Science B.S. Education - Middle Grades M.Ed. Instructional Design B.S. Mathematics Education - Secondary M.Ed. Learning and Technology M.S. Curriculum and Instruction M.S. Educational Leadership M.S. Special Education Endorsements: Endorsement Preparation Program, English Language Learning Member Governors

The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt, Chairman Emeritus , Utah 1993–2003

Alaska Indiana The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable Michael J. Dunleavy

Arizona Montana South Dakota The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable Steve Bullock

California Nebraska Texas The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable

Colorado Nevada Utah The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable Gary R. Herbert

Guam New Mexico Washington The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable Jay R. Inslee

Hawaii North Dakota Wyoming The Honorable The Honorable The Honorable

Idaho Oklahoma The Honorable The Honorable Board of Trustees

Chairman

Dr. Charles Sorenson President and CEO Emeritus, Intermountain Healthcare

John W. Bluford III The Honorable President Emeritus, Truman Medical Eric Holcomb Center; President, Bluford Healthcare Governor, State of Indiana Leadership Institute Tammy Johns Cole Clark CEO, Strategy & Talent; Former Executive Director, Higher Education Executive, Manpower Group Client Relations, Deloitte Services, LP; Former Global VP for Education and Talia Milgrom-Elcott Research, Oracle Corporation Co-Founder and Executive Director, 100Kin10 Dr. Therese (Terry) Crane The Honorable President, Crane Associates; Former Jared Polis Executive with Apple and AOL Governor, State of

Joseph Fuller Scott D. Pulsipher Professor of Management Practice & President, Western Governors University Co-Director of the Managing the Future David Simmons of Work Project, President, Simmons Media Group Harvard Business School Dr. Samuel H. Smith The Honorable President Emeritus, Jim Geringer Washington State University Director, Policy & Public Sector, ESRI Governor, State of Wyoming Jessie Woolley-Wilson (1995–2003) CEO & President, Dreambox Learning CONGRATULATIONS, CONGRATULATIONS, CONGRATULATIONS,NIGHT OWLS! NIGHT OWLS! NIGHTYOU DID OWLS! IT! YOU DID IT! WelcomeYOU to our growing DID alumni IT! network, Welcomenow more to our than growing 150,000 alumni strong! network, Welcomenow more to our than growing 150,000 alumni strong! network, Stay connected,now more network than with195,000 colleagues, strong! and learn aboutStay theconnected, many resources network and with benefits colleagues, available and learn to you: Stay connected, network with colleagues, and learn about the many resources and benefits available to you: about the many resourcesVisit alumni.wgu.edu and benefits available to you: VisitVisit wgu.edu/alumnialumni.wgu.edu GET SOCIAL GETShare theSOCIAL excitement! Use #WGUgradShare to tag the your excitement! commencement posts. Use #WGUgrad to tag your commencement posts.

The flower arrangements displayed on stage for today’s commencement are placed in memory of those students and graduates we have lost. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.

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