BLUFFTON, Ohio (WLIO) — A total of 125 graduates from Bluffton University are preparing for the next chapter after receiving their diplomas during the school’s 126th commencement ceremony Saturday morning.
Students were recognized for earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, joining more than 17,000 alumni who have graduated from the university and gone on to serve their communities. Graduates said their time at Bluffton provided not only an education, but also meaningful experiences and lasting memories.
“I've had a really great time meeting all of my friends, playing volleyball, and getting to work on my practice with graphic design and art and photography, all of the above. Coach ernell kind of got me here. Volleyball kind of sealed the deal for me and the community and service and all of the things that Bluffton stands for kind of made me decide to come here,” says Jenna Woods, graduating with a BA in Graphic Design.
“This place just feels like home. It's a great community just feels like home. It's a great community. It's driven by community. It's driven by religion, and those two things are extremely important to me, so it's just helped me grow in those areas while I've been here. Getting my master's degree is great. It just feels like the final step. I'm excited not to go to school anymore,” says Mitchell Baker, graduating with a Masters in Business Administration.
University President Alexander Sider encouraged graduates to carry the sense of community they experienced at Bluffton into their future endeavors.
“The biggest message, I think, that I would bring to them today is when you leave Bluffton, remember the kind of community that we have created here over your last four years, or however long your program took. And then when you plug into the communities where you land, work at recreating it. Work at extending and deepening the bonds of community. Wherever you are, none of us makes it through this life alone,” says Dr. Alexander Sider, President, Bluffton University.
In addition to honoring graduates, the university also recognized five retiring staff members with emeritus faculty status.
