Grads charged to be global citizens

At the Spring Commencement ceremony May 25, the Class of 2008 was encouraged to take risks, be global citizens and pass on the legacy of PLU.

The Tacoma Dome was packed with family and friends, all gathered to support the more than 700 undergraduate and graduate students who received their degrees. The ceremony featured a keynote address by former career diplomat Joyce Barr ’76, as well as a speech by graduating senior Candice Hughes.

A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Hughes came to PLU as a freshman in 2004, and is the first graduate of the university’s recent agreement program with the University of the West Indies. She received a bachelor’s degree in geosciences. View the text of Hughes’ speech here.

Barr was the U.S. Ambassador to Namibia from 2004 to 2007, and is currently the executive director of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in the State Department. Since joining the Foreign Service in 1979, she has served in posts around the world. She received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters at commencement. View the text of Barr’s speech here.

To view Spring Commencement in its entirety, visit LuteCast.