Dear Families of Spring 2020 Graduates,
Commencement is my favorite time of the year. It is a time to celebrate your students’ achievements with their fellow classmates, your family and friends, to take their photos in their caps and gowns, and a time for them to be officially pronounced an alum from Missouri Western. I love watching graduates march down the hill and file into the stadium to the pomp and circumstance music played by the Griffon band. But above all, I love watching the pride and joy on the faces of the parents, relatives and friends.
I have been a part of Missouri Western, as a student or employee, for over 20 years. In the past we have had to postpone or adjust the time of the ceremony due to weather conditions out of concern for the safety (driving conditions or lightning) of those attending. But never has a decision been made based on potentially saving lives.
I know how disappointed you must be. You watched your student struggle to finish their capstone projects to complete the rest of the semester. You watched your student leave for spring break ready for some time off, only to receive a message not to come back. Your student did not have a chance to say goodbye to their friends and celebrate their achievements.
Your student’s time at Missouri Western is not over. We will find a way to celebrate your graduate! I am not sure what that looks like now, but the Alumni Association will come together to find a way to welcome them. Our new Alumni Welcome Center is located in Spratt 105 (the former Western Institute). Once the restrictions are lifted, please encourage your student to stop by and pick up a license plate frame.
Your student will always remember this time in their life. None of us will forget these unique times we are experiencing. What stories we will have to tell our children and grandchildren! But please know that Missouri Western will always be your student’s home.
Warmest wishes and congratulations,
Kim Weddle
Executive Director of Alumni Relations