More than 10,000 students don their caps and gowns as part of San Diego State University’s annual commencement festivities.

The 10,132 students approved to participate in commencement include 7,676 bachelor’s degree candidates (figures adjusted for double majors), 2,369 master’s degree candidates and 89 doctoral degree candidates. It is the largest group of degree candidates since 2000.

Ceremonies will take place in Cox Arena from Friday, May 23, through Sunday, May 25.

“We have 10,000 reasons to be proud of SDSU,” said SDSU President Stephen Weber. “These hard-working students have acquired the skill, knowledge and awareness our society so desperately needs in its next generation of leaders. Our future is in their good hands.”

Commencement News

• Largest Nursing Class
• Commencement Schedule
• Honorary Degree Recipient
• SDSU Hispanic Outlook Ranking
• Outstanding Graduate Profiles
• Top 10 Degrees
• Commencement Speakers

School of Nursing Graduates Largest Class

Among the graduates is SDSU nursing student Arlene Hady. After years of classes, weeks of clinical duty and hours of service to the university, Hady will be part of the largest class of nursing graduates in SDSU history. In total, SDSU will graduate 184 student nurses this year.

Arlene Hady, SDSU Nursing Graduate

Four-year universities, like SDSU, educate 30 percent of nursing graduates in the state. According to a recent study by the state Labor and Workforce Development Agency, approximately 10,400 Californians will graduate with nursing degrees this year, representing a 68-percent increase from the 2003-04 academic year.

Nearly half of the 30 fastest-growing occupations are concentrated in the health sciences, including nursing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hady has already been hired to work with the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

Commencement Schedule

SDSU’s commencement schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, May 22
  7 p.m., Imperial Valley Campus, Rollie Carrio Quad

• Friday, May 23
  11 a.m., College of Health and Human Services, Cox Arena
  4 p.m., College of Arts and Letters, Cox Arena
  
  
• Saturday, May 24
  8 a.m., College of Business Administration, Cox Arena
  12:30 p.m., College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts (School of Art, Design & Art History; School of Communication; School of Journalism and Media Studies; School of Music and Dance; School of Theatre, Television and Film), Cox Arena
  4:30 p.m., College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts (School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Affairs; School of Hospitality and Tourism Management), Cox Arena
  
  
• Sunday, May 26
  8 a.m., College of Education and Division of Undergraduate Studies, Cox Arena
  1 p.m., College of Sciences and College of Engineering, Cox Arena

SDSU commencement ceremonies May 23-35 will be broadcast live on:

• Cox Cable South, Channel 23
• Cox North County, Channel 18 (excluding Oceanside)
• Time Warner Cable, Channel 19

Because of a scheduling conflict, the Health and Human Services ceremony (11 a.m., Friday, May 23) will not air live. The ceremony will instead be broadcast at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 25. 

All ceremonies at Cox Arena can be seen on the Internet at http://www.sdsu.edu/Commencementvideo. This link will become active on May 22.

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2008 Honorary Degree Recipient
Darlene V. Shiley and her husband
Donald P.Shiley.

SDSU Honorary Degree Recipient Darlene V. Shiley

Darlene V. Shiley will receive an honorary doctorate in fine arts from SDSU for her contributions to the arts and higher education in the San Diego region.

Earlier this year, Shiley donated $1.25 million to establish the Donald P. Shiley Center for Cardiovascular Support at the SDSU BioScience Center.

SDSU Ranks No. 6 in the Nation for Bachelor's Degrees Awarded to Hispanics

San Diego State University ranks sixth in the nation and second in California for bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics according to Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education’s Top 100 Colleges for Hispanics.  SDSU also ranked No. 16 in the nation for enrolling Hispanic students.

The recently released rankings are compiled using information from 2007 data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics. That year, SDSU conferred bachelor’s degrees on 1,399 students of Hispanic descent. Using the same data, SDSU is ranked second in California.

Additionally, SDSU ranks in the top 10 nationally for undergraduate degrees awarded to Hispanics in six program areas, including English literature, foreign language, Hispanic studies, protective services, psychology and public administration.

SDSU was also ranked No. 19 for master’s degrees conferred on Hispanics by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, with 232 awarded during the 2006-2007 academic year.

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Outstanding 2008 Graduates

Joseph Almohaya,
musical theatre

 

Joseph Almohaya, 27, M.F.A., musical theatre.  Almohaya, a San Diego native, will sing the National Anthem at all of SDSU’s commencement ceremonies this year, including his own on Saturday, May 24 at 12:30 p.m. when he receives his master’s of fine arts degree in musical theatre. SDSU has the only MFA in Musical Theatre on the west coast. Almohaya received his bachelor's degree in vocal performance from SDSU in 2006. During his graduate education, Almohaya took part in a one of a kind educational exchange program in Sweden with the University of Gothenburg's musical theatre program, "Artisten." In addition, he participated in master classes with famous Broadway show composers such as Marvin Hamlisch of "A Chorus Line" and Duncan Sheik of "Spring Awakening." He is graduating cum laude and plans to move to New York to pursue his musical theatre career on Broadway.

 

 

 

 

 

Willie Bans, journalism

 

Willie Bans , 23, B.A., journalism.  Bans is an award-winning journalist and past managing editor of The Daily Aztec, SDSU’s student-run newspaper. Last year, he participated in the New York Times Student Journalism Institute as a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists which resulted in his freelance work appearing in the New York Times. Bans will intern this summer for MLB.com helping to cover the New York Yankees.

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron Dugan,
interdisciplinary studies

 

Aaron Duggan, 34, B.A., interdisciplinary studies.  Duggan, graduating magna cum laude, has been named the outstanding student in interdisciplinary studies.  He studied theatre, sociology and religious studies and plans to teach at the college level after completing the M.A./Ph.D. program in mythological studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute.  Duggan said he took a long path to find his calling, rather than just a bigger paycheck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stacy Furrer,
Imperial Valley Campus

Stacy Furrer,  44, B.A., English. Furrer is SDSU Imperial Valley Campus’ most outstanding student for the Class of 2008.  A single mother, Furrer went back to college after home schooling her sons for three years. Despite many setbacks and challenges, she excelled in her own school work and helped her peers achieve as well.  She has copyrighted the slogan "One Girl Riot" and gives awy t-shirts and bumper stickers to promote feminist activism. She is also involved with BookCrossings.com, a nonprofit organization that brings books to readers all over the world. In this capacity she is a modern day Robin Hood according to her teachers: people give her books and she gives them to other people who need them.

 

 

Arlene Hady,
nursing

Arlene Hady, 23, BSN, nursing.  Hady already has plans following graduation later this month.  She will be working in the medical-telemetry unit with the VA San Diego Healthcare System in La Jolla, Calif.  Highly involved across campus, Hady is the current Associated Students secretary and served as the college representative from the College of Health and Human Services for three years. She also served as president of the college student council and represented SDSU on the National Student Nurses’ Association.  Hady will receive her degree on Friday, May 23, at 11 a.m.

 

 

 

 

Lina Holliday , business
administration (marketing)

Lina Holliday, 31, B.S., business administration (marketing emphasis).Born and raised in a small town in Lithuania, Holliday came to San Diego in 1998.  She has been named the outstanding undergraduate student for the College of Business.  She has high hopes of testing the waters of entrepreneurship and opening a business of her own. Lina will receive her degree on Saturday at 8 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eli Magana, Japanese studies
& political science

Eli Magana, 23, B.S., Japanese studies and political science. A San Diego native, Magana, overcame drugs and gangs to be the first in his family to graduate from college.  Kicked out of high school, he witnessed his brother arrested for gang-related offenses. That was the turning point for Magana. Now, a member of the North County Gang Commission, he shares his story with other youth as a volunteer with Productive Minds and in his job with the San Diego County Office of Education.Magana has been awarded a Fulbright grant to Korea, where he will enroll in Yonsei University’s Korean studies program.  He is particularly interested in the formation of the Zainichi-Korean cultural identity and history.  As part of the Fulbright year, he will also participate in intensive language study.  Magana will graduate magna cum laude in May with a degree in political science and Japanese studies (a double major).  Earlier this year, he interned with the National Committee of North Korea in Washington, DC, and the year prior he studied in Japan.

 

 

 

 

Teressa Martel,
political science

 

Terresa Martel, 21, B.S. political science.  Martel has a list of accomplishments a mile long but her most rewarding experience at her time at SDSU wasn’t about her; it was about giving to others.  Following a spring break trip to help with rebuilding efforts in New Orleans, Martel led the campus-based effort Under One Roof Campaign to raise money for a woman whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  She is also co-authoring a book with an SDSU faculty member about Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, Martel was selected as SDSU’s Panetta Institute representative to intern in Washington, D.C. Her experience as a congressional intern put her on the path to law school which she will pursue following graduation.  Martel received the four-year Provost’s Scholarship. She is graduating with honors.

 

 

 

Tu Nguyen,
mechanical engineering

Tu Nguyen, 29, B.S., mechanical engineering.  Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Nguyen immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 2000.  When he receives his degree this month, Nguyen will be a first generation college graduate.  During his time at SDSU, Nguyen worked in the mechanical engineering machine shop assisting faculty by designing and building research equipment.  Nguyen has been named valedictorian for the College of Engineering and the outstanding graduate for the mechanical engineering department.  He will graduate summa cum laude.

 

 

 

 

 

Victor Ozuna ,
construction engineering

Victor Ozuna, 27, B.S., construction engineering.  An Iraq war veteran, Ozuna spent five years in the Navy as a combat engineer. The transition from war to college was a difficult one, but Ozuna said once he came to the SDSU campus, his dreams of becoming an engineer started to become reality. “After seeing so much dead and destruction in Iraq everything stopped making sense,” Ozuna said. “I had to find a purpose to keep going with life and school.” A two-time recipient of the Association of General Contractors scholarship, Ozuna will receive his degree this Sunday, May 25 at 1 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christy Rust,
international business

Christy Rust, 23, B.S., international business.   Rust, a San Diego native, fell ill during her freshman year of college and was forced to withdraw from classes. The life-threatening illness kept her out of college for a full year. During that time, her home with her parents was destroyed in the 2003 wildfires. Despite the many setbacks, Rust continued to pursue her education and transferred to SDSU in 2004. After visiting Thailand with a group of SDSU students in 2005, Rust fell in love with Southeast Asia. An international business major, Rust was the first student to participate in Middlebury College’s intensive summer immersion Chinese program. In spring 2007, she interned for the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs for East Asia and the Pacific in Washington D.C. Rust continued to pursue her interests in China by interning at the U.S. Embassy for Foreign Commercial Service in Beijing and studying at Beijing Language and Cultural University. Following graduation, she will pursue her master’s degree in East Asia linguistics through the National Chinese Flagship Program at Ohio State University. Rust will receive her degree in international business with an emphasis in Chinese on Friday, May 23 at 4 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

Maximillian Soto (and his son),
criminal justice administration

Maximillian Soto, 27, B.S., criminal justice administration.  Soto is the distinguished military graduate for SDSU’s Army ROTC.  Upon graduation, the father of two will be commissioned as 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army and will be an infantry office at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Soto will participate in the Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony on Friday, May 16, at 5 p.m. and will receive his degree on Saturday, May 24, at 4:30 p.m. in Cox Arena.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelli Walencik, Nursing

Kelli Walencik, 22, BSN, nursing.  Walencik is graduating summa cum laude as valedictorian of the class of 2008.  She has been named “Most Outstanding Student” for the School of Nursing.  Walencik will begin her career in critical care nursing at Sharp Memorial Surgical Intensive Care Unit in San Diego.  She will receive her degree on Friday, May 23, at 11 a.m. in Cox Arena.

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Class of 2008 Top 10 Most Popular Degrees

1. Business Administration (1344)

2. Psychology (713)

3. Criminal Justice Administration (472)

4. Art (353)

5. Liberal Studies (337)

6. Kinesiology (322)

7. General Communication Program (305)

8. Political Science (283)

9. International Business (220)

10. Nursing (186)

 

2008 Commencement Speakers

College of Health and Human Services, Fri. May 23, at 11 a.m.
Nick Macchione, deputy director of the Department of Health and Human Services of the County of San Diego.

College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, Sat., May 24,
at 4:30 p.m.
Gregory J. Smith, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk for the County of San Diego

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Information for Media

To make arrangements for access to Cox Arena or to set-up a live shot and interviews during commencement contact:

Lorena Nava Ruggero (619) 594-3952 or Gina Speciale (619) 594-4563.

 

Media Parking (excluding live trucks) is located in Parking Structure 4, Level 2. Spaces have been reserved via public safety. When you arrive, a parking attendant will direct you to the reserved spaces.