Summary of ceremony:
* Ceremony: Saturday, May 26 - 10 a.m. for Schools of Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, and Education and 3 p.m. for Schools of the Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. Some 1,730 students eligible to graduate, 1,400 expected to attend the ceremonies. Approximately 14,000 graduates, family, friends expected at the event on Commencement Lawn.
* Oldest graduate: Ruth J. Lynch, 78 years old, B.A. in Art History, Sebastopol resident. Ruth put four children through college and says, "then it was my turn." Her daughter will graduate with her, earning a second degree.
* Youngest graduate: Sarah Dominis, 19 years old, B.A. in English, Town of Sonoma resident. Sarah works for "Free To Be," a health education project and wants to one day open an orphanage in Africa to help infants who lost their mothers to AIDS.
* Keynote speaker: Dr. Margaret Rees, professor of geo-science at the University of Nevada, on "The Power of Passion, People and Place."
* Student speakers: Inese Heinzel, communications major (speech untitled), and Georges Haddad, political science major, "Granted Opportunities."
Sonoma State University holds its 40th annual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 26 in an event expected to draw 14,000 graduates and their guests to the Rohnert Park campus.
Of the 1,730 students eligible to graduate, some 1,400 are expected to take part in Commencement 2001 on the Commencement Lawn behind the Student Union and Commons buildings.
The ceremonies are scheduled at 10 a.m. for graduates of the Schools of Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, and Education and at 3 p.m. for graduates of the Schools of the Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.
The youngest graduate is 19-year-old Sarah Dominis, of Sonoma, who is receiving a B.A, in English with a concentration in creative writing. The oldest will be 78-year old Ruth Lynch, of Sebastopol, who is receiving a B.A. in art history.
Dominis was home-schooled by her parents, took the high school equivalency test through Santa Rosa Junior College and then entered Sonoma State's English department. She works for "Free to Be," a health-education project sponsored by Catholic Charities where she gives presentations to high school students on a variety of topics. She plans to open an orphanage in Africa for infants who have lost their mothers in the AIDS epidemic.
Lynch decided to go to school after putting four children through college because "it was my turn." She and her daughter, who is getting a second degree, will graduate at the same time. Ruth studied art history and found the art department so inspiring that "you just wanted to keep on learning."
KEYNOTE SPEAKER IS ANTARTIC RESEARCHER
The keynote commencement speaker is Dr. Margaret Rees, a professor of geo-science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who will speak on "The Power of Passion, People and Place. " Dr. Rees received her B.A. in geology from Sonoma State College, in 1972 and is the recipient of SSU's 1997 Distinguished Alumni award.
She holds advanced degrees from the University of Kansas and has made eight research trips to Antarctica investigating Cambrian rocks in the Transantartic Mountains. Her research in Antarctica has produced numerous national and international scholarly publications. She has also participated in research in Siberia, South Africa, New Zealand, southeast China, and Australia.
During the past few years, she has become interested in feminist science studies and feminist pedagogy, particularly as it applies to the teaching of geo-science. Rees was co-founder of "Promise," a Projects for Multicultural and Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, which is a nationally recognized feminist-knowledge project housed on the UNLV campus.
STUDENT SPEAKER RETURNED TO SCHOOL AFTER 28 YEARS
Student speakers at the commencement includes Inese Heinzel, a communications studies major who came to SSU to finish her college education after 28 years in the corporate world, and Georges Haddad, a 23-year-old political-science major. Heinzel began her college education at Queens College in New York in 1967 and resumed her studies at SSU as a re-entry student in 1999. During her twenty-eight years in the corporate world, she had built a successful career in business communications and sales training.
"The Pennsylvania Dutch have a saying," Inese says. "Too soon old and too late schmart. As a re-entry graduate, I think they're wrong: You never stop learning. You're never too old. And it is never too late."
Since 1996 she has been in business for herself as a communications consultant, writing and producing print, video and multimedia projects for clients such as Sony Development, the Estee Lauder Companies, and the Federated Dept. Stores.
Heinzel will attend graduate school at San Francisco State University this fall studying English Composition. She hopes to combine her academic and corporate background into a career of teaching writing at the university level.
Heinzel's family immigrated to the United States from their native Latvia when she was a small child, settling in Omaha and later Long Island, New York. Heinzel has volunteered as a private tutor in music and as an elementary-level Latvian school teacher. English is her second language.
Georges Haddad is a 23-year native Californian who grew up in Danville. He graduated from San Ramon Valley High School and will earn a degree in political science. He has been the coordinator of "Youth and Government," a high school leadership and diversity program. He also has been a director for several summer camps. After graduation, Georges hopes to pursue a career in international law, and has applied to several graduate schools.
For three years, Georges served as a member of the Sonoma State University Student Ambassadors. During that time, he has held posts as treasurer and president. Off campus, Georges has volunteered for five years with the local YMCA.
"Sonoma State, its faculty, staff, and students has been an important of my life," Georges says. " They have provided me with the opportunity to learn, to live, and to experience. My years here have enhanced by ability to go forward and be a contributing member of society."
Reservations and tickets are not needed to attend Commencement 2001 and the public is invited to attend. Parking is free in designated areas. For more information, contact Anne Handley, Commencement Coordinator, (707) 664-2018 or e-mail anne.handley@sonoma.edu.
