FORT SMITH -- About 800 spring and summer graduates are set to enter the next stage of their lives Saturday.
The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith will hold its 106th commencement across three ceremonies at the Stubblefield Center on campus Saturday, according to a university news release.
Each ceremony will be dedicated to honoring graduates from one of the university's three colleges. The College of Business and Industry will have its ceremony at 10 a.m., the College of Health, Education and Human Sciences at 1 p.m. and the College of Arts and Sciences at 4 p.m.
Cecily Kimble, 33, of Fort Smith said it will be bittersweet to finally graduate with her bachelor of science in elementary education K-6 as both a nontraditional student and single parent. Kimble is most excited to have her 14-year-old son, Rashaun, see her cross the stage because he's seen the amount of work she put into getting her degree.
"I always tell him all the time, 'I'm never going to ask anything of you that I wouldn't ask of myself,'" Kimble said. "So through this whole process, I'm not just doing it for me, I'm also doing it to show him what is possible when you work hard and you persevere and you make the choices that you need to make."
Kimble said she is also excited for her entire family to see her graduate as the first in her immediate family to do so and to honor their support in helping her get to that point. She will move to Conway to teach in the Conway School District after graduation, she said. She hopes to pursue a master's degree in educational leadership and some day to become an elementary school principal.
Dyllan Duvall Newell, 22, of Fort Smith said it's very rewarding for him to also be the first out of his immediate family to be able to graduate college, as well as to graduate in four years after changing majors. He expressed excitement at the prospect of walking across the stage to receive his bachelor of arts in media communication. He was pursuing an engineering degree previously.
"I'm excited to get to work, but I'm also going to miss all the stuff that I did for student organizations and miss that part of my life," Newell said. "But I'll always have those memories to look back on, and it's just kind of an accumulation of all of those memories at once as I walk across the stage to get the diploma."
Newell will begin working as a recruiting specialist in the university's Human Resources Department on Monday. He's also in the process of applying for an online graduate program through Arkansas State University in the hopes of starting work toward getting a master's degree in sports administration this fall.
Reagan Joy Heppner, 21, of Elkins will receive her bachelor of arts in vocal music performance Saturday. She said graduation is also bittersweet for her because she's leaving a place that has given her guidance, wisdom and memories. She noted much of her time at college was during the covid-19 pandemic.
"I'm still excited to celebrate with my family and just the fact that, oh my goodness, we made it," Heppner said. "A lot of the people in my family can't relate to going to college in a pandemic. That's not something that happens every day. A lot of maturing has happened over the last four years, and I'm excited just to celebrate with everyone there."
Heppner said she accepted the community impact coordinator position at the United Way of Fort Smith Area.
Each of Saturday's commencements will also feature a unique speaker, according to the news release.
Bill Hanna, president and board chairman for the Fort Smith-based Hanna Oil and Gas, will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony; Kim Miller, western region president of Baptist Health, at the 1 p.m. ceremony; and Billy Higgins, an associate professor of history who is set to retire from the university this month, will speak at the 4 p.m. ceremony.
Hanna and Miller are also members of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Foundation Board.
Statistics
The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith’s spring and summer graduates this year are between 17 and 59 years old. They have earned a combined 244 certificates of proficiency, 73 technical certificates, 175 associate degrees, 475 bachelor’s degrees and 11 master’s degrees.
Source: University of Arkansas-Fort Smith