643 Degrees Awarded at Indiana University Northwest’s 51st Annual Commencement

643 Degrees Awarded at Indiana University Northwest’s 51st Annual Commencement

On Thursday, May 11th, Indiana University Northwest (IUN) held their 51st Annual Commencement Ceremony and honored the Class of 2017 at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary. At this year’s Commencement, the IUN Class of 2017 collectively received 64 associate’s degrees, 532 bachelor’s degrees and 47 master’s degrees.

For graduates, Commencement Day is the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication that has tested students through the ups and downs to finally realize their dream. The late nights and countless hours of studying are, for many, behind them as they now take their leap into the professional world.

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“Commencement is a day when I reflect on the transformational role that education, particularly higher education, plays in one’s life,” said IUN Chancellor, William J. Lowe, Ph.D. “As our graduates can attest, true education is not about memorization or performance on examinations. It is about engaging and empowering students to become independent learners and leaders who think critically, reason knowledgeably and lead fulfilling adult lives.”

“I am very proud of the Class of 2017. Their academic achievements, their engagement in their communities and their commitment to lifelong learning will serve them well and continue to distinguish them in the life and future of Northwest Indiana. I am very confident that, in the future, we will have every reason to be proud of them, as graduates of Indiana University and IU Northwest,” Lowe added.

Also there celebrating this monumental step with students was Michael A. McRobbie, President of Indiana University. McRobbie spoke about truth, a cornerstone of the education that students receive at Indiana University Northwest.

“You, the members of the IU Northwest Class of 2017, are superbly prepared to confront these challenges and to continue this tradition of the dedicated and unremitting search for truth,” McRobbie said as he addressed the graduates seated before him.

“Through your dedication in the classroom, through your volunteer service in the community and around the world, and in countless other ways, you have affirmed Indiana University’s legacy as a university committed to academic excellence and the continual search for truth,” continued McRobbie.

“Venerate the truth. Search for it. Defend it when it is challenged,” he added before harkening back to Indiana University’s motto - Lux et Veritas, light and truth.

Cristin Olszewski received her Master’s Degree on Thursday and was looking forward to starting her career.

“It’s very exciting,” Olszewski said. “I received my Master’s in Social Work today and I’m looking to work at a school as a social worker. I’m thinking of starting at the elementary level.”

As Olszweski and her over-600 fellow graduates now look towards their career or further education, they take pride in the fact that this part of their journey is complete.