St. Peters Residents Recognized at WGU Missouri Commencement

Two St. Peters residents were recognized for receiving their degrees at WGU Missouri’s commencement ceremony, held Saturday, June 25, at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in St. Louis. Those recognized include:

· Lisa Graham, of St. Peters, Bachelor of Arts in Special Education

· Alison Schreyer, of St. Peters, Bachelor of Science in Business Human Resource Management

WGU Missouri, the only online, nonprofit university endorsed by the state of Missouri, provides an affordable and accessible path to college completion for Missouri’s working adults. The university, created in 2013 by Governor Jay Nixon in partnership with Western Governors University, has grown by 367 percent since its establishment, with 2,087 current students and 937 alumni.

Governor Jay Nixon served as the keynote speaker at the ceremony, addressing a crowd of nearly 850. During the ceremony, three student speakers also shared stories of their educational journeys. They include: Justine Eubanks, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, from Owensville, Mo.; Arnold Hogue, B.S. Business Management, from Normandy; and Janine Lange, M.S. Nursing Leadership and Management, from Imperial, Mo.

WGU Missouri Commencement by the Numbers:

· WGU Missouri graduates represent nearly 100 cities across the state and more than 50 counties.

· 166 undergraduate and 122 graduate degrees are being conferred.

· The average age of the graduates is 38; the youngest grad is 21; the oldest is 66.

· 92 percent of the graduates are over the age of 27.

· 43 percent of the graduates represent the first generation in their families to complete college.

· Degree distribution by college:

o College of Business – 109

o College of Health Professions and Nursing – 101

o College of Information Technology – 25

o Teachers College – 53

WGU Missouri’s online, competency-based model allows students to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their studies, finishing faster and saving money. Tuition is charged at a flat rate of $2,890 per six-month term for most programs, regardless of the number of courses completed. On average, students are able to complete a bachelor’s degree in less than three years, many while holding a full-time job and raising a family. The online model also enables students to enroll and study from anywhere across the state, and complete coursework at a schedule that works best for them. For more information, visit missouri.wgu.edu.