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PITTSBURG —
The last of Pittsburg State University’s four weekend commencement ceremonies was also the largest. More than 400 students in the PSU College of Arts and Sciences graduated at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Dr. Karl R. Kunkel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed families and praised his faculty members, proudly noting that Outstanding Faculty Award recipients Dr. Craig Fuchs, Dr. Paul McCallum and Dr. Grant Moss are all from this college.
“We are proud of you and proud of your accomplishments, and we want to be proud of accomplishments that lie ahead, so keep in touch,” said Dr. Steve Scott, PSU president. “What your life becomes reflects on PSU.”
Fred Logan, who represented the Kansas Board of Regents, had not been very familiar with Pitt State.
“Coming to Pittsburg State this year, learning about it, I realize that I am culturally deprived,” Logan said.
“This is a place that is easy to care about deeply. This institution is a powerhouse and it is crucial to the future of Kansas. The degree that you are getting today is a powerful degree.”
In closing, the regent urged the students to “Think high, care deeply.”
Zachary K. Krumsick, Outstanding Senior Man, noted that none of the students at the commencement were there by accident.
“There are people here who have been anticipating this moment since we were born,” he said.
Krumsick said that he would like to extend the definition of family to all the friends and faculty who have encouraged and helped students through their college journey.
“No student is just a number at PSU,” he said. “Students are able to develop relationships with faculty that are not possible at a larger institution. I grew up here, but no matter where we came from, the years we have spent at PSU have made it a second home.”
Holly Hrabik, Outstanding Senior Woman, also talked about family.
“One of the most important factors associated with happiness and well-being is our connectedness with other human beings,” she said.
After the speeches, students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. Many of the nursing graduates had stethoscopes draped around their necks.
“This is the ceremony I feel most comfortable with, because there are so many well-trained nurses here,” Scott said.
Jacqueline Burg, who had “Nurse Jackie” spelled out on her mortar board, said afterward that she thought the PSU president’s comment was pretty awesome.
The last of Pittsburg State University’s four weekend commencement ceremonies was also the largest. More than 400 students in the PSU College of Arts and Sciences graduated at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Dr. Karl R. Kunkel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed families and praised his faculty members, proudly noting that Outstanding Faculty Award recipients Dr. Craig Fuchs, Dr. Paul McCallum and Dr. Grant Moss are all from this college.
“We are proud of you and proud of your accomplishments, and we want to be proud of accomplishments that lie ahead, so keep in touch,” said Dr. Steve Scott, PSU president. “What your life becomes reflects on PSU.”
Fred Logan, who represented the Kansas Board of Regents, had not been very familiar with Pitt State.
“Coming to Pittsburg State this year, learning about it, I realize that I am culturally deprived,” Logan said.
“This is a place that is easy to care about deeply. This institution is a powerhouse and it is crucial to the future of Kansas. The degree that you are getting today is a powerful degree.”
In closing, the regent urged the students to “Think high, care deeply.”
Zachary K. Krumsick, Outstanding Senior Man, noted that none of the students at the commencement were there by accident.
“There are people here who have been anticipating this moment since we were born,” he said.
Krumsick said that he would like to extend the definition of family to all the friends and faculty who have encouraged and helped students through their college journey.
“No student is just a number at PSU,” he said. “Students are able to develop relationships with faculty that are not possible at a larger institution. I grew up here, but no matter where we came from, the years we have spent at PSU have made it a second home.”
Holly Hrabik, Outstanding Senior Woman, also talked about family.
“One of the most important factors associated with happiness and well-being is our connectedness with other human beings,” she said.
After the speeches, students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. Many of the nursing graduates had stethoscopes draped around their necks.
“This is the ceremony I feel most comfortable with, because there are so many well-trained nurses here,” Scott said.
Jacqueline Burg, who had “Nurse Jackie” spelled out on her mortar board, said afterward that she thought the PSU president’s comment was pretty awesome.
“It was a real honor for him to say that,” Burg said.
Daniel Warlop, Frontenac, received his master of music degree. He earned a bachelor of arts in music (performance-percussion) from PSU in 2009.
“More and more people are getting undergraduate degrees now, but this master’s degree was something I took under my own initiative and I wasn’t pressured by society or family to do it,” he said. “It feels really special and really different.”
He plans to stay in the Pittsburg area, at least for several years, because his family and the family business are here. His father, Bill Warlop, is owner of Home Center Construction Inc.
“I had private music students all through college and I’ll teach music privately,” Warlop said. “I can use all this knowledge I’ve gained, plus my business background, too. I think that will be a good balance.”
Newly commissioned Second Lt. Eric Harden, from the Kansas City area, won’t be staying around. Now he will go on to Fort Sill, Okla., for training, then to Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. “After that, I go where the U.S. Army sends me,” he said.
Wherever he goes, he will take good memories of PSU with him.
“This has been a great four years,” Harden said. “I learned a whole lot and grew up a whole lot.”
