I am so excited for our Commencement Ceremony, set to be held on May 13. Like last year, we’ll have two ceremonies, one at 10 a.m. and one at 5 p.m., both at the Thomas & Mack Center on UNLV’s campus.

This year, we’ll award 4,000 students their degrees and certificates, sending them out into the working world or on to four-year colleges and universities. Official numbers will be available once grades are final, but did you know that, in the last decade, CSN has seen more than 25,000 students earn their degrees and certificates and go on to fuel the growth and diversification of the Southern Nevada economy?

We’re making a huge difference in so many individual lives, and I find that the most rewarding aspect of working in higher education for all these years.

Our student Commencement Speaker will be Molly Keyes, a single mom and Phi Theta Kappa member who took an 8-year break to take care of her child before coming back and finishing her degree. She’s an inspiration, and, like so many CSN students, an example for us all.

I hope to see you at the ceremony!