MWSU to celebrate 350 graduates during spring commencement

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Missouri Western State University will celebrate the achievements of 350 graduates during two spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 10.

Ceremonies will take place in the MWSU Fieldhouse in the M.O. Looney Complex. Graduations is free and open to the public.

MWSU will confer 290 undergraduate degrees and 60 graduate degrees. Graduates come from Missouri and 19 other states, as well as seven foreign countries.

The first ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. and will celebrate graduates from the College of Science and Health. Doors will open at 10:15 a.m.

The second ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. and will celebrate graduates from General Studies, the College of Business and Professional Studies and the College of Liberal Arts. Doors will open at 2:15 p.m.

A brief reception will follow each ceremony in the Looney practice gym. The reception is sponsored by the Missouri Western Alumni Association.

Tim Houlne, a graduate from 1986, will be the commencement speaker for the spring 2025 commencement. Houlne graduated from MWSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

The Houlne Center for Convergent Technology was named in appreciation of Houlne's generous contribution to its construction and operation.

Student representatives Viola Toma and News-Press NOW's Kendra Simpson will also speak at their respective ceremonies.

Toma, from Kansas City, Mo., will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and will speak at the 11 a.m. ceremony. Toma has overcome homelessness and battled cancer on her road to success. As a non-traditional first generation student and a single parent, Toma still carved time out to volunteer at Head Start through Community Action Partnership St. Joseph.

Simpson, from St. Joseph, Mo., will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Convergent Journalism and Public Relations and will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony. Simpson served as news editor and editor-in-chief for Griffon Media, and was awarded several state and national awards for her work. Simpson now serves as a multimedia journalist and weekend anchor for News-Press NOW.

Other public commencement-related activities include"

• Physical Therapy Assistant Pinning Ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 9 at the Kemper Recital Hall in Spratt 101
• Respiratory Therapy Pinning Ceremony at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 at Murphy Hall 2nd Floor
• Nurses Pinning Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 at the Fulkerson Center