The Winter Commencement Ceremony for approximately 300 graduates of Missouri Western State University will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 in the arena of the M.O. Looney Complex. The ceremony will feature guest speaker Obie Austin, the closing of the Centennial time capsule, and the presentation of a diploma to an alumnus who had to miss graduation in 1943 because he was serving in World War II.
The MWSU Alumni Association will host a free reception for graduates and their families after the ceremony in the Looney small gym. The ceremony is free and open to the public. For those unable to attend, the ceremony will be streamed live online at griff.vn/GRAD15.
Obie Austin ’95
Obie Austin graduated from Missouri Western with a nursing degree in 1995. In many ways he epitomizes the theme of Missouri Western’s centennial celebration, “100 Years of Transforming Lives.” Arriving at Missouri Western from difficult life circumstances in the inner city of Kansas City, Austin worked more than seven years to complete his degree. He then went on to earn a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, served as a nurse practitioner, and is currently a commander in the United States Navy Reserves and the vice-president of general medicine at the KC CARE Clinic.
Ida Haefner, student body president from Hillboro, Missouri, and Lionel Attawia, student governor from Kansas City, Missouri, will ceremonially close the student celebration of Missouri Western’s centennial by placing the final items in a time capsule. The time capsule will be displayed on campus and opened for the university’s sesquicentennial in 2065.
Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president, will present an Associate of Science degree to Arend William “Bill” Thedinga, who was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943 before he could receive his diploma from St. Joseph Junior College. After returning from World War II, Thedinga earned his bachelor’s degree in history and education from Indiana University and returned to St. Joseph to begin his teaching career at Edison Elementary School. He earned a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Missouri and went on to serve as principal at both Benton and Lafayette High Schools.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.