Missouri Western celebrates graduates this Saturday
By Nicole Scott
Missouri Western State University is celebrating graduates this weekend and the public is invited to celebrate as well.
MWSU is expecting 201 graduates to walk across the stage at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Looney Complex. Doors will open for guests at 10:15 a.m.
MWSU said that they will be giving out 171 undergraduate degrees, 30 graduate degrees, the graduates are from 13 different states including Missouri, and that there are graduates from four other countries.
Graduates will receive degrees from many different programs including the College of Science and Health, General Studies, the College of Business and Professional Studies, and the College of Liberal Arts.
The commencement speaker is Isaac Lee Collins, a former MWSU student, community entrepreneur, a business coach and speaker.
Collins graduated MWSU in 2011 and has since owned eight businesses and one non-profit in several industries from health supplements to professional services.
As of 2024, Collins owns five Yogurtini Frozen Yogurt stores and Streamlined Profit Academy, a company which offers business coaching.
Collins uses his businesses to make a positive impact in Northwest Missouri and teaches individuals to make a positive impact in their communities as well.
The student representative will be Dana Vinson.
Ms. Vinson is from Roland, Iowa, and is graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Animation. Vinson is the president and founder of MWSU Digital Animation Club.
Vinson has also served as the head of animation and president of Griffon University for Griffon Production House, she participated in marching band and jazz band and served as secretary in the Alpha Chi national honor society and on the executive board for Phi Boota Roota national percussion fraternity.
Vinson has represented MWSU at numerous events, including SIGGRAPH, a conference on computer graphics and interactive technique.
Other graduation activities include:
- At 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, in the Hoff Conference Rooms, the Blum Union Rooms 218 and 219 MWSU will host the International and Multicultural Sash Ceremony
- At 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, in the Fulkerson Center, MWSU will host the Nurses Pinning Ceremony.
