Close Menu

Mayor to give keynote speech at May 18 Whitworth commencement ceremony

May 2, 2014

Spokane Mayor David A. Condon will address graduates at Whitworth University’s 124th undergraduate commencement ceremony May 18. Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor will be the speaker at the graduate commencement ceremony May 17.

Condon will give his address, “Wanting What You Need,” during the undergraduate ceremony, which will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, at the Spokane Arena, located at 720 W. Mallon Ave. About 630 Whitworth undergraduates will receive their degrees.

Taylor will speak at the university’s graduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, at 10 a.m. in Whitworth’s Cowles Auditorium. He will deliver his address, “Reflecting Alma Mater,” to an audience including 85 graduates receiving master’s degrees in education, teaching, counseling, business administration, international management and theology.

Assistant Professor of Art Meredith Shimizu will offer the homily, “Crossings,” for the baccalaureate service on May 18 at 10 a.m. in the Whitworth Fieldhouse. Shimizu was named one of Whitworth’s most influential professors by the 2014 senior class.

Whitworth Commencement Weekend events begin Friday, May 16, and will include a senior communion and commissioning service, a senior reflections slideshow and showcase of senior class talent, an art exhibit, a music recital, and an English department reading featuring graduates' capstone works. For complete Commencement Weekend details, visit http://www.whitworth.edu/commencement/.

During the undergraduate commencement ceremony, eight students will receive the President’s Cup award for maintaining a 4.0 grade point average throughout their undergraduate education. They are Evan Anders, Rachelle Boettcher, Michael Bouterse, Alanna Feltner, Kelsey Marcinko, Steven Munson,  Rebecca Nelson and Jeremy TeGrotenhuis. The Whitworth Servant Leadership Award, which honors a graduating senior who has exhibited an extraordinary commitment to serving the campus and the larger community, will also be given during the ceremony.

David A. Condon is the 44th Mayor of the City of Spokane. After graduating from Gonzaga Prep in 1992, he went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in Finance and Military Science from Boston College, spent nine years in the U.S. Army, managed his father’s dental practice in Spokane, and served the citizens of Eastern Washington as the Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Congresswoman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Live Streaming:

To view a live stream of the graduate commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, click here.

To view a live stream of Sunday’s undergraduate commencement ceremony at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 18, click here.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts: 

Mark Baker, associate registrar, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4332 or mbaker@whitworth.edu.

Lucas Beechinor, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or lbeechinor@whitworth.edu.