SPRINGFIELD, Mo., May 13, 2023 — Drury University’s class of 2023 donned caps and gowns to celebrate their academic success during commencement ceremonies this week.
The Drury Law Enforcement Academy held a graduation ceremony on Thursday evening. The ceremony for Drury GO, Drury’s evening and online programs, and the College of Graduate Studies was held Friday night. And a ceremony for graduates of the traditional day school was held Saturday.
There were 210 traditional residential college graduates, 129 from Drury GO, 60 graduates who earned a master’s degree and 14 graduates of the Drury Law Enforcement Academy received their Missouri POST Class A Licenses.
During Saturday’s ceremony, John Beuerlein ’75 was formally installed as Drury’s 19th president.
Be grateful and have a thankful heart
On Friday, Drury welcomed Dr. Sue Rollins as commencement speaker. Rollins worked at Drury for more than 30 years, serving as Coordinator for Women’s Athletic Programs and then Director of Continuing Studies. During her tenure, Drury opened six additional campus locations, added new graduate programs and tripled overall enrollment. Rollins has given numerous presentations at the regional, state and national level on faculty development, student services and marketing non-traditional programs.
“We live in a world where it’s more important than ever to be kind to people, respectful, grateful and have a thankful heart. So, I challenge each of you to think about the people who made a difference in your life as you pursued this degree and say ‘thanks,’” Rollins said. “I want to tell you how proud we are of you because you are the ones who, in many cases, worked all day and then drove to campus and sat through classes and then did homework on the weekends.”
Always remember how fortunate you are
Richard (Dick) A. Gephardt served as Saturday’s commencement speaker. Gephardt is President and CEO of Gephardt Government Affairs. He provides strategic advice and hands-on lobbying for clients on issues before the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Executive Branch.
During his 28-year tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Gephardt represented Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District. During his first year in Congress, he was appointed to both the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees and went on to serve as House Democratic Leader for more than 14 years, as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and Minority Leader from 1995 to 2003. Gephardt ran for President of the United States in 1988 and again in 2004, further demonstrating his commitment to public service. He is also a published author of two books.
“Today there are eight billion human beings in the world and only about 500 million of them have achieved a college degree. So, graduates, that’s how fortunate you are. This is still the land of opportunity and there’s more opportunity today than 20, 30, 50 or 100 years ago. That’s the country you’re graduating into,” Gephardt said. “So, as you’re thinking about what you’ll do next, what I’d ask you to do is intentional thinking. Ask ‘what do I care about? What am I passionate about? What lights my fire?’ and then just try to do it.”
At Thursday’s Drury Law Enforcement Academy graduation, Trooper Mandy Kahler, from the Missouri State Highway Patrol served as commencement speaker and 11 graduates accepted positions at area law enforcement agencies including Dade County, Christian County and Lawrence County Sheriff’s Offices, Ozark and Ash Grove Police Departments, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Probation & Parole.
Additional photos: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9arcfb94ink1vwi/Gephardt.jpg?dl=0
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Media Contact: Jasmine Cooper, Director of University Communications and Media Relations – (417) 873-7390 or JCooper020@drury.edu
