The University of Northern Colorado hosted fall commencement ceremonies Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8, in the Bank of Colorado Arena in Butler-Hancock Athletic Center, south of the intersection of 14th Avenue and 20th Street.

Graduate School Ceremony

The Graduate School ceremony started at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, with doors opening at 6 p.m., and about 300 candidates received their master's, doctoral and specialist degrees.

Watch the video of the 2018 Fall Graduate Ceremony on Dec. 7:

The Graduate School ceremony keynote speaker was Cary Smith, who is in his first year as principal of Greeley Central High School but also begins his nineteenth year at the Castle. He and his wife with their two children have lived in Greeley for the past 26 years both working for District 6 the entire time. Overall, Smith begins his thirty-first year in education. He has taught in a prison, in the People's Republic of China — he might be the only person to ever hit a golf ball off the Great Wall of China — and in California prior to moving to Colorado. 

The student speaker was Marianna Lucero, who is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and a first-generation college student. She is holds a BFA in Theatre, Film and Television and a Graduate Teacher Education Master's Degree in Urban Community Teaching from the University of Colorado Denver. She graduated from UNC with her Masters of Arts in Theatre Education. 

Learn more about the Graduate School ceremony speakers.

Undergraduate Ceremony

About 600 undergraduates received their degrees during two ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 8, with doors opening one-hour prior:

• 9 a.m.: Ceremony for the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and University College.
• 12:30 p.m.: Ceremony for the Monfort College of Business, College of Natural and Health Sciences and College of Performing and Visual Arts.

Watch the video of the 9 a.m. 2018 Fall Undergraduate Ceremony on Dec. 8:

Watch the video of the 12:30 p.m. 2018 Fall Undergraduate Ceremony on Dec. 8:

The undergraduate keynote speaker was Brian Davidson, M.D., who is an alumnus of UNC’s Department of Chemistry. He currently serves as president of SCL Health St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction. St. Mary’s is the largest hospital between Denver and Salt Lake City, providing tertiary care for the majority of western Colorado and eastern Utah. He completed medical school and residency training in anesthesiology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Davidson completed a healthcare administration fellowship at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and earned an MBA from the University of Colorado Denver. 

The undergraduate student speaker was Hannah Beebe, who double majored in English Liberal and Communication Studies. She strives to be a ray of positivity in the lives of those around her. Beebe has served as president of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society on campus for the last two semesters. She has received multiple scholarships for her academic achievements, is graduating Summa Cum Laude and known by her peers as the person to ask when they need help or advice. She is thrilled to be representing the class of fall 2018.

Learn more about the undergraduate ceremony speakers.

All ceremonies were broadcasted live online. Go to unco.edu/commencement/webcast.asp for instructions about the live video feed.

Additional information, including more details about the speakers and ceremony etiquette and protocols.

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About UNC's Fall 2018 Graduating Class: 

• No. of students graduating: 871
• No. of students earning bachelor's degrees: 602
• No. of students earning graduate degrees: 269 (238 master's, 20 doctorates, 11 certificate/specialists)
• Age range:
  • Undergrad: 19-66
  • Grad: 22-66
• Average age:
  • Undergrad: 25
  • Grad: 33
• Graduate's average GPA:
  • Undergrad: 3.26
  • Grad: 3.83
• Most popular majors (by degrees awarded): 
  • Undergrad: Business Administration, Elementary Education, Nursing, Psychology, Human Services.
  • Grad: Special Education, Education, Educational Psychology, Educational Leadership, Sport and Exercise Science.
• International Countries Represented: 8 (Canada, China, Ghana, Honduras, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Thailand)
• States/Territories Represented: 46 (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
• Colorado Counties Represented: 34 (Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Crowley, Delta, Denver, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Jefferson, Kit Carson, La Plata, Larimer, Las Animas, Logan, Mesa, Morgan, Otero, Park, Pitkin, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Summit, Teller, Washington, Weld)

Tentative as of Dec. 5, 2018. Degrees yet to be conferred for fall 2018.

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Meet Two Graduated Seniors:

Danny Medoff: From Army Medic to Philosopher

Danny Medoff founded two UNC student clubs after transferring from Seattle in summer 2016 and serving his country for eight years.

Last fall, he started the Philosophical Kevlar club for military veterans with the help of UNC Professor and Chair of Philosophy, Nancy Matchett, Veterans Services Director, Dan Turnbeaugh, and recent alumnus Justin Howell, who worked on the Veterans Services Event Planning team. He was inspired after learning about the topic among veterans of “moral injury,” which refers to the internal suffering resulting from acting against moral codes.

Read more on his story

Mariel Gutierrez: Professional Soccer in Her Sights

UNC Coach Tim Barrera describes Mariel Gutierrez as one of the most decorated players in the history of Big Sky Soccer. The four-year starter for the UNC Bears soccer team is the only player to make All-Region all four years and one of four players to make first team All-Big Sky all four years. She was named to the Big Sky all-tournament team three out of four years while leading the Bears to three conference championship games.

On December 11, she was named to the first-team Scholar Athlete All America by the United Soccer Coaches Association. Gutierrez never missed a game due to injury and set the all-time Big Sky record for games played at 85.

Read more on her story