The University of Arizona Global Campus celebrated the achievements of more than 8,200 graduating students during its Commencement, held May 31 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
At the ceremony, President Suresh Garimella conferred 142 associate degrees, 5,108 bachelor's degrees, 2,829 master's degrees and 143 doctoral degrees, including both domestic and international scholars. Graduates represented all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Australia, China, Germany, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Kelly Wood, right, and her daughter Johanna celebrate their degrees.
Courtesy Kelly Wood
Graduates ranged in age from 21 to 71 years old, and the programs most represented by those students included business administration, psychology, health care administration and human resources management.
UAGC alumna Brittny Ferguson served as the Commencement speaker. Ferguson, an assistant vice president at U.S. Bank and founder of a purpose-driven business, exemplifies the resilience and leadership that define the UAGC student experience.
Among this year's graduates were Kelly Wood, senior corporate partnerships account executive with UAGC, and her daughter, Johanna. While Johanna celebrated the completion of bachelor's degree in human resource management, her mother attended commencement to acknowledge the Master of Business Administration degree she earned in 2022 – but was unable to celebrate at that time.
Both mother and daughter considered the ceremony an acknowledgement of their perseverance and resilience. Experiencing the excitement of Commencement side by side, from the anticipation of walking the stage to the pride of receiving their degrees, made the occasion meaningful for both graduates.
"It was something I will treasure forever," Kelly said.
Visit UAGC's website for more information about its graduation ceremony.