HAMMOND – “One degree hotter” – that mortarboard message could well describe the atmosphere Saturday at the Purdue University Northwest graduation ceremony.
Diplomas went to 834 candidates for graduation, including 685 baccalaureate recipients and 149 master’s degrees.
“Here you are, and this is just the beginning of your successes,” said guest speaker Dr. Regina Biddings-Muro, vice chancellor for university advancement at California Lutheran University. A Region native and PNW alumna and former administrator, Biddings-Muro added “Congratulations, you made it.”
Biddings-Muro, a Bishop Noll Institute graduate, challenged graduates to “commit to your impossible dreams, and persist and your dreams will become reality.”
Common among graduates were first-generation collegians. Communications Specialist Kale Wilk said 50% of PNW undergrads are first-generation students.
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Ebony Bledsoe is among them. Earning a graduate degree in psychology, she is the first member of her family to earn a master’s degree. Now she’s been accepted to the doctoral program at Loyola Chicago.
“I wish my grandparents and father were here,” Bledsoe said. “I’m here because of them. They were part of my successes and failures.”
Emma Kinkert of Griffith has her cherished education degree. “I can finally do what I’ve always wanted, teaching little kids, and being the difference in their lives,” she said. “I’ve always worked with kids and I love building relationships and being that safe space for kids.”
Some mortarboards carried special messages. Jennifer Martinez put: “Un logro que hice para mi΄, pero dedicado a mis papas,” or “An achievement I did for me, but dedicated to my parents.”
“I did this for (her parents) because they could not go to college. I’m the first generation to go,” said Martinez, one of four children. “This is a big accomplishment, very big.”
Jessica Tirado of Hammond also thanked her family and God in Spanish. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my parents and my faith in God,” she said. “I want to set an example for my two younger sisters.”
Emma Shireman of North Judson, an elementary education major, put this message on her cap: “Be the teacher you needed when you were their age.”
Shireman, who student-taught at Lincoln Elementary in LaPorte, invited her students to sign her graduation stole.
Another first-generation grad, Abel Cervantes of Hammond studied mechanical engineering technology. With three siblings, Cervantes said first-generation students face challenges, such as access to resources.
Valerie Brunt received a finance degree. “My life is finally getting started,” said, Brunt, whose sister had previously earned a master’s in biology from PNW. “It means a lot to follow in her footsteps.”
Ihdah Mizyed of Tinley Park, Ill., earned her nursing degree at age 36 and is now a registered nurse. “I took me longer, but I’ve been chasing my dream. I always wanted to be a nurse,” she said. She described graduation as a “huge relief.”
Wilk noted that PNW undergrads come from 50 countries.
Aashrith Madura, from Channai, India, earned a computer science degree. “This means a lot for me and my family,” Madura said. “I’m the first to receive a master’s degree.”
Kareen Ullah U Syed, from Hyderabad, India, also majored in computer science. “This is the first step toward advanced degrees,” he said. “My mother is at home right now, very proud and happy.”
Leonard Powell, 55, of Gary received a master’s degree in communications. “I did something I never dreamed about,” he said. “I’m very appreciative of the education I received.”
Adam Hayes of Griffith studied business information analytics, and his wife Megan presented him with the chancellor medallion for business. “This is a huge milestone,” Megan said of her carpenter husband. “He decided to go back to school after the pandemic.”
Tiffany and Joe Giuliano of Lowell watched as daughter Jade Guttman received her degree in human resources management. A third-generation Purdue grad, Guttman follows her grandfather and mother, who studied psychology at PNW.
“Purdue is a good education, affordable, and close to home,” Tiffany Giulano said.