PELLA, IA (05/29/2015)(readMedia)-- The following local students graduated May 16 from Central College.

Allison Garman of Bettendorf graduated with a degree in sociology.

Brittany Hinton of Davenport graduated with a degree in exercise science.

Alicia Huegel of Bettendorf graduated with a degree in elementary education.

Ashlyn Huegel of Bettendorf graduated with a degree in integrated studies.

Megan Querry of Bettendorf graduated with a degree in psychology.

Nathan Thiessen of Davenport graduated with a degree in music.

Lauren Weber of Muscatine graduated with a degree in English.

Garrett Young of Muscatine graduated with a degree in exercise science.

These students were among 263 who completed degrees in 36 majors. Central's class of 2015 came from 18 states, including Florida, California, Arizona, Washington, Colorado, Ohio, New Jersey and Michigan.

Brian Peterson, professor of economics, served as class dean for this class of students since 2012 and gave a special address at baccalaureate. "I marvel at the ability of our graduates to accomplish as much as they have," he said. "I wonder when they sleep! I wish them all success after Central, and that they never forget that, as much as they think Central has helped them grow, they have helped Central grow as well."

At commencement, seniors also presented their class gift: the renovation of Maytag Student Center's outdoor patio. The patio was not included in a recent $3.125 million renovation of Maytag Student Center, but it is attached to the new campus restaurant Fred's, one of the most popular gathering spots. The class gift will help create a multi-faceted gathering place that complements recent indoor upgrades and makes the patio ideal for students to gather for live music events, studying or connecting with classmates outdoors.

Founded in 1853, Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, residential four-year liberal arts college known for its academic rigor and strength in global experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), sustainability education, athletics success and tradition, and leadership and service. Central continues to value its long-standing relationship with the Reformed Church in America that began in 1916. The college participates in NCAA Division III athletics and is a member of the Iowa Conference. Central is an active part of the Greater Des Moines region and just two minutes from Lake Red Rock, Iowa's largest lake.

KENOSHA, WI (05/28/2015)(readMedia)-- These local students have graduated from Carthage College. A weekend of activities culminated in the May 24 Commencement ceremony, as Carthage awarded 530 degrees in the N. E. Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center Fieldhouse.

Taylor Hurry of Port Byron, IL, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience .

Allison Mann of Rock Island, IL, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justiceand Environmental Science .

Erin Holst of Bettendorf, IA, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administrationand Marketing (graduated magna cum laude).

Mitchel Wright of Hampton, IL, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Training (graduated magna cum laude).

Emmy-winning broadcast journalist Laura Ling gave the Commencement address. She is now director of development for Discovery Digital Networks.

Carthage College combines an environment of reflection and self-discovery with a culture of high expectation so our students uncover and ignite their true potential. A four-year, private liberal arts college with roots in the Lutheran tradition, the campus has a prime location in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The campus, an 80-acre arboretum on the shore of Lake Michigan, is home to 150 scholars, 2,600 full-time students, and 400 part-time students.

Sioux City, Iowa (May 28, 2015) - Morningside College presented degrees to more than 320 undergraduate and graduate students during its 117th spring commencement held on May 9.

Local students include : Deena M. Taylor,Bettendorf, Iowa, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Zachary Neuerburg, Rock Island, Ill., Master of Arts in Teaching,

Morningside College is a private, coeducational, four-year liberal arts college with a total enrollment of more than 2,800 students. Morningside offers five bachelor's degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Morningside also offers a Master of Arts in Teaching degree.

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LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (May 28, 2015) - The University of Saint Mary celebrated the close of another academic year and marked a major milestone both for the university and its individual graduates at the Saint Mary 2015 Commencement Ceremony on May 9.

The 2015 commencement event honored the university's 400+ graduates-a group composed of over 200 undergraduate degree recipients, more than 160 master's degree recipients, and about 40 doctorate recipients.

This year's graduates hailed from Kansas to California, from Scotland to Nigeria. The presence of many online learners that day also lent the festivities a distinctly national flavor. And the graduation of the 37 Stefani Doctor of Physical Therapy program students marked a major milestone in Saint Mary history-the culmination of an important journey USM undertook years ago to launch its first doctorate program.

At the event, USM President Sister Diane Steele, Ph.D., praised the graduates' accomplishments. "We pray now that with a Saint Mary education that you recognize and treasure the good and the beautiful, that you will seek truth and aim to live justly, and that you have come to see the glory of God in all that surrounds you, particularly in the faces of those that you encounter," she told the crowd.

Those graduating from the Quad Cities area include Damian Papish of Bettendorf receiving a Master of Business Administration degree and Elizabeth Wilkens of Davenport receiving her Doctorate of Physical Therapy.

USM student speakers presented the day's commencement addresses through reflections on their Saint Mary experiences.

"I was offered an opportunity to become a student at a university that prides itself on academic standards... a university that helps lead us on the path to becoming leaders in society," said graduating senior Cade Brummer, an English major from Lancaster, Calif. "USM is a tightly-knit community, one that is accepting and open to all people, one that makes every moment spent here enjoyable."

The members of the Saint Mary graduating class of 2015 arrived at USM from a wide variety of backgrounds and are bound for an equally diverse range of bright futures. In reaching their God-given potential, USM's graduates have overcome obstacles of all kinds.

The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park, Campus near 115th and Pflumm offers evening, accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit www.stmary.edu for more information.

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