680 students to graduate from Southeast this weekend

After five and a half years and two pauses in his college education, Tyson Glaser will graduate Saturday from Southeast Missouri State University.

"It's been a long time coming," he said.

A 2004 graduate of Kelly High School, he will be one of 680 students to graduate from Southeast. His college career was suspended for a 10-month deployment to Iraq in 2007.

A year and a half after starting his degree in criminal justice, Glaser said, he decided to join the Army Reserve.

"I just thought I would join the Army and see where that took me in life," he said. He also paused college classes to complete eight months of training after joining.

He is a member of the 325th Combat Support Hospital based in Independence, Mo. While in the Army, he has developed skills in information technology.

"One of the better jobs is working with computers because it applies to outside the Army," said Glaser, who also earned a minor in computer science. While in Iraq, he said, he did computer programming for hospitals. After returning in June 2008, he went back to the classroom a few months later that August.

The GI Bill helped him fund the remainder of his education. Glaser, who will graduate with honors, also supplemented his college funding with scholarships.

"I don't have to cram 40 hours a week in plus still go to school," he said.

Glaser is also one of more than 150 students that will honored at an honors convocation at 10:30 a.m. at the Show Me Center. Commencement will start at 2 p.m. at the Show Me Center.

Retiring provost Dr. Jane Stephens will give the commencement address. Stephens, who held various positions with the university from 1978 to 1994, returned to the university in 2000. She has served as Southeast's chief academic officer since July 2000.

Dr. Frank Nickell, a history professor and director of the Center for Regional History, will receive the Provost's Research, Instruction and Development for Excellence Award. The award, in its 14th year, was selected by the council of deans after nominations were collected from colleges and schools.

abusch@semissourian.com

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