Class of 2017 is ready for the world
Years of late nights and hard work culminated in a three-ceremony commencement celebration Dec. 16 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
After crossing the stage to collect their diplomas and move their tassels to the left, about 1,000 graduates were officially welcomed into the ranks of more than 122,000 UMKC alumni – half of whom live and work in the Kansas City metro area. The College of Arts and Sciences, the Henry W. Bloch School of Management and the combined remaining UMKC schools each held ceremonies. Excitement ignited at each event, as new graduates and their friends and families celebrated their significant accomplishments.
The university presented honorary doctorate degrees to New York Times-bestselling author Candice Millard and David Von Drehle, writer and editor at large for the Washington Post. The two shared their words of wisdom with the newest class of 2017.
“It’s not enough to be smart. It’s not enough to be brilliant – genius even. If you don’t work hard, all that candle power, all that blazing potential will go to waste, and that would be a shame because, speaking on behalf of the rest of the world, we need you.”
– Candice Millard, New York Times-bestselling author and UMKC Honorary Ph.D. recipient
“Seek diversity in your lives. Seek out people who think differently from you and spend time with them – not in confrontation, but in community.”
– David Von Drehle, editor at large for the Washington Post and UMKC Honorary Ph.D. recipient
“Through today’s ceremonies, we commend our graduates. We also recognize that your accomplishment is not yours alone. Many people played a role in your success.”
– Interim Chancellor and Provost Barbara A. Bichelmeyer
From across the country and around the world, our students come together in Kansas City to study business, medicine, theatre and more than 100 other academic areas. Roos become leaders in their fields and give back to their communities.
>Learn about a recent class of 2017 grad