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Class of 2014: More than 4,600 Adult Learners Graduate from Excelsior College

Posted in Featured By Mike Lesczinski

Graduates and their families came together in Albany, N.Y. Friday, July 11 to celebrate Excelsior College’s 2014 Commencement. More than 300 of a graduating class of 4,693 are attended the ceremony at the Empire State Convention Center. Jamie P. Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, the nation’s largest private foundation committed solely to enrolling and graduating more students from college, offered the keynote address.

[Follow #ExcelsiorGrad2014 for all Commencement-related updates and activities. Learn more about the 2014 Graduation Class (At-a-Glance). ]

Typical Excelsior graduates are working adults, average age 37 years old, balancing jobs, family and college coursework, while seeking to improve their lives and advance in their careers. This year’s graduates come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and 19 other nations. They earned their degrees through online coursework, credit by examination, transferring credit from other institutions, and recognized non-collegiate sources. Nearly 1,600 graduates are members of the U.S. military and 34 percent are from minority groups.

In total, more than 1,700 degrees were conferred at the associate level, 2,600 at the bachelor’s and nearly 300 at the master’s level. Fifty nine students earned more than one degree during the past academic year and the oldest graduate is 69 years old.

While each graduate leaves Excelsior with a degree, their personal journey to Commencement is unique.

Anna Truss fled her troubled home country of Turkmenistan for Turkey in 2004 in search of academic freedom, eventually making her way to the U.S. via a student-exchange program. Passionate about math and science, the Seattle, Washington resident taught herself web development, graduated from a community college, and enrolled in Excelsior’s Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program, concentrating in cybersecurity. In August 2013, Truss followed the path of so many immigrants before her and started her own business, DefSec Solutions, LLC, a digital forensics firm, with three former classmates. In addition to running a successful – and growing – company, she’s now pursuing a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from Excelsior.

Other notable 2014 graduates who embody the spirit of lifelong learning – and who will be in attendance at this year’s ceremony – include:

• Rosa Pena-Roberts, a young mother and immigrant from the Dominican Republic, who through the help of a college partner and the use of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), was able to earn an MBA.
• Thomas Drake, a U.S. Navy veteran, detective, and 17-year law enforcement veteran, who returned to school for a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice to advance in his career and serve as a role model to his young children.
• Laurie Herrera, a grandmother and LPN who earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences 25 years after taking her first class at Excelsior.
• Lisa Miller, who overcame numerous obstacles, including family and personal health problems, to earn a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts.
• Nancee Berling, a veteran who successfully balanced work, school, family, and a disability, to earn a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree, Summa Cum Laude.

Excelsior publicly broadcasted the Commencement live on the Web.

Excelsior College has an education partnership with Rainbow Division Veterans Foundation.   RDVF employees, members and their spouses or domestic partners will receive reduced pricing on tuition and fees while pursuing associate and bachelor degrees and 15% reduced tuition for graduate/master’s degrees and credit bearing certificate programs at Excelsior College. 

For more information on the partnership go to: http://www.excelsior.edu/web/partners/rainbow