Mount St. Mary's University Commencement - Facts, Figures and People to Know

Emmitsburg, MD (05/10/2017) — Mount St. Mary's University will host its 209th Commencement exercises at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 14 in Knott Arena at the main campus in Emmitsburg. The Mount's Class of 2017 features 522 total graduates, with 426 of those taking part in the ceremony.

More than half (53 percent) of the graduating class hails from Maryland, with Pennsylvania (17 percent) and New Jersey (10 percent) as the next most represented states. Graduates also represent the following countries: Burundi, Canada, Ghana, Gambia, Sri Lanka and Peru.

Overview of graduating class

Bachelor's graduates participating in the ceremony, by school:

- The College of Liberal Arts - 88

- The Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business - 126

- The School of Education and Human Services - 65

- The School of Natural Science and Mathematics - 89

Master's graduates participating in the ceremony, by degree:

- Master of Arts in Philosophical Studies - 1

- Master of Arts in Teaching - 5

- Master of Business Administration - 39

- Master of Education - 1

- Master of Health Administration - 6

- Master of Science in Biotechnology and Management - 1

Five graduates earned a Master of Science in Sport Management degree, becoming the program's inaugural graduating class. Additionally, the Warriors to Workforce program, a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Mount, will graduate 11 adult undergraduate students from the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business.

People to Know

Commencement speaker - Richard P. Miller

Virtua President and CEO Richard P. Miller, C'74, will deliver this year's commencement address. Miller is a member of the Mount St. Mary's University Board of Trustees, as well as a Mount alumnus. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Southern Illinois University.

Virtua, southern New Jersey's largest health care provider, offers a full continuum of primary, preventative, wellness, acute and long-term care. Miller, Virtua's CEO since 1998, has led the company in innovative directions by creating a values-based culture defined by the "Star Initiative," adopting Six Sigma, a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for improving patient outcomes. Under his leadership the health care system has been transformed from a group of community-based hospitals into a technologically advanced set of regional medical centers.

Notable graduates, listed in alphabetical order:

Sarah Bonson

- Bishop Allen Memorial Prize - Awarded to the highest scholastic average throughout the four years at the university.

- Reverend Philip A. Barrett Memorial Prize - Awarded to a senior student who has demonstrated achievement by way of an extensive, outstanding research project.

- Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship - Awarded to women enrolled in science, engineering and math who have demonstrated high academic achievement, leadership potential and a commitment to their field.

- After graduation - Doctoral program in chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Louis Tonon

- Creator and co-founder of Campus Drive - A student-run ride-hailing service for Mount students.

- Student Government Association class president.

- Member of the men's tennis team.

- After graduation - Campus Drive.

Julian Woods

- Multiple NEC weekly award winner for track and field.

- Member of NEC academic honor roll all four years.

- After graduation - University of Maryland Dental School.

Katherine Wu

- Founder's Scholarship - Awarded to two incoming freshmen who have performed superbly during an on-campus written exam and a personal interview for finalists.

- Edward J. Flanagan Memorial Prize - Awarded to the member of the senior class who best represents the tradition of Mount St. Mary's University in scholarship, conduct, and leadership.

- Bishop Allen Memorial Prize - Awarded to the highest scholastic average throughout the four years at the university.

- Studied at the University of Cambridge, enrolled in the Pembroke-King's Programme.

- After graduation - Graduate program in theology at the University of Notre Dame.

ROTC Commissioning

The Green Terror Battalion of the U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program will hold its commissioning ceremony for cadets of Mount St. Mary's University on Friday, May 12 at the university's Emmitsburg campus. Lt. Gen. Christopher F. Burne, judge advocate general of the U.S. Air Force is the event's guest speaker. In his role, Burne is legal adviser to the secretary of the Air Force, as well as all officers and agencies of the Department of the Air Force. Mount St. Mary's University Interim President, Timothy Trainor, Ph.D. Trainor will offer remarks as well. Trainor is a retired U.S. Army brigadier general and most recently served as dean and chief academic officer at the U.S. Military Academy before retiring after a 33-year military career.

A total of seven cadets from the Mount's Class of 2017 will be commissioned. They include Divine Agbenyo, Justin Alfon, Matthew Arthur, Connor Burne, Charles Jenkins Jr., Leeanne Leary, and Israel Solis, MBA'17. The cadets will commission as second lieutenant officers and serve on active duty, in the Army Reserve or with the National Guard.

About Mount St. Mary's University

Mount St. Mary's University is a private, liberal arts, Catholic university in the Catoctin Mountains near historic Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a satellite campus in Frederick, Maryland's second largest city. The university offers more than 40 majors, minors, concentrations and special programs for traditional undergraduate students, and 17 adult undergraduate and graduate level programs.