More than 700 Southeast students earn degrees

Thousands packed the Show Me Center to watch Southeast Missouri State University's Fall Commencement ceremony Saturday afternoon.

A total of 773 students, including 162 master's and specialist students, received their degrees during the ceremony. University President Carlos Vargas-Aburto said those represented in the graduating class were students from across the nation and scores of foreign countries.

The university tapped Warren D. Anderson, professor of cultural and linguistic anthropology at Southeast's Department of Global Cultures and Languages, to deliver the commencement address. He urged students to consider not only the professional training and scholarship they've received at the university, but the life skills that underpin academic success.

He said while most commencement speeches are filled with exhortations to look to the future, his would look back in time.

"In every one of your classes ... there's a hidden and enormously important requirement," Anderson said, "not on any class syllabus."

Southeast Missouri State University president Carlos Vargas-Aburto shakes hands with a student as they move across the stage during the December commencement ceremony Saturday at the Show Me Center. (Glenn Landberg)

Empathy, he said, is the exercise at the heart of any field of study and hopefully the students' capacity for seeking "fullness of understanding" of others had been nurtured during their time at Southeast.

"No one needs a commencement sermon to know we need empathy. Just watch the daily news," he said. "Without empathy, we lose each other. We risk devaluing each other."

As graduates enter their fields in pursuit of becoming better scientists, accountants, teachers or otherwise, he urged them to not forget to strive to become better people.

Before the diplomas were distributed, Vargas took time to recognize the achievements of several students, such as Melissa T. Foster of Portageville, Missouri, who completed her degree by traveling to Southeast's remote campuses, all while raising a family.

He pointed out Shae Simmons, a former pitcher for Southeast's baseball team, who left the university about 30 credits shy of a degree to play professional baseball. When Tommy John surgery left him unable to pitch during 2015, he used the time to complete his degree.

Students take part in the Southeast Missouri State University's December commencement ceremony Saturday at the Show Me Center. (Glenn Landberg)

He recognized dozens of students who are the first in their families to earn degrees, international students and military veterans who were graduating.

Southeast also awarded a posthumous degree to Michael C. Upperman III, a Southeast student who died at age 22 after a battle with cancer.

Eleven of the graduates held perfect 4.0 grade-point averages, Vargas said, adding there have been fewer than 500 such graduates in Southeast's 143-year history.

"One of the constants in life is change," Vargas told the graduates. "You may need change. ... We want you to know that ... we can't wait to see what you do. ... You can always come home to Southeast."

But many graduates, including political-science major Dylan Lloyd, plan to go elsewhere for the time being and continue building their lives.

"It's a huge accomplishment," Lloyd said, adding he plans to pursue a master's degree out of state.

"It's awesome," said Lloyd's father, Jonathan. "It was money well-spent."

"And he's debt-free," his mother, Tammy added. "He worked hard for that."

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627