WGU Bachelor's Ceremony, April 2018

<p>Order of Events: Processional; National Anthem sang by MartiNiQue Ortiz-Mendoza; Welcome and Opening Remarks by WGU Washington Chancellor, Dr. Tonya Drake; Commencement Address delivered by Bill Stainton; Graduate Speakers are Madhuri Vegaraju and Clint Cole; Conferral of Degrees by Dr. Marni Baker Stein; Closing Remarks by Dr. Marni Baker Stein; Recessional.</p> <p>Transcript of video with timecodes:</p> <p>[Music Plays]</p> <p>[00:12:38]</p> <p>Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Key Arena. In preparation for the WGU commencement, we ask that you please take your seats, clear the aisles, and silence your cell phone. The commencement ceremony is about to begin in a few minutes.</p> <p>[Music Plays]</p> <p>[00:14:34]</p> <p>Dr. Tonya Drake: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 65th commencement ceremony for Western Governors University. Graduates, families, and friends, thank you for joining us as we celebrate this special occasion. Our bachelor's ceremony is being recorded and streamed live over the internet. A special welcome to all of our online participants joining us across the country and around the world. Please stand for the processional and remain standing for the National Anthem.</p> <p>[00:15:24]</p> <p>[Processional]</p> <p>[00:24:15]</p> <p>[National Anthem]</p> <p>[Applause]</p> <p>[00:25:53]</p> <p>Dr. Tanya Drake: Good afternoon, WGU graduates! Who’s ready to graduate today? [Cheers] Please have a seat. My name is Tanya Drake and it is my pleasure to serve as your chancellor for WGU Washington. And it is my honor to welcome you to the 2018 WGU Bachelor's Commencement Ceremony here in Seattle, Washington. </p> <p>[00:26:22]</p> <p>And on behalf of our entire university, we wish you congratulations to our graduates for completing one of life’s greatest accomplishments: a higher education. Please help me thank MartiNiQue Ortiz-Mendoza from Shelton, Washington, who is graduating with her Bachelors of Arts Degree in interdisciplinary studies, for performing our National Anthem. [Applause]</p> <p>[00:26:57]</p> <p>We also extend our warmest welcome to the many family and friends who joining us here today to the many graduates and families and friends who are joining us via our live webcam. Can you give them a wave? Thank you. We also welcome our provost and chief academic officer, Dr. Marni Baker Stein as well as my colleagues who are joining me up here on our stage who represent our amazing university leadership. </p> <p>[00:27:32]</p> <p>Graduates, let me ask you to take a moment and to look around. Soak in this moment. See the many families and friends who are here to support you and all of your accomplishments. Today would not have been possible without them. There are nearly 79,000 guests in attendance today at the ceremony and many more watching online to celebrate you. You are a much-loved crowd. Graduates, let me ask you to put your hands together to thank them and show them how much you appreciate all of their support. [Applause]</p> <p>[00:28:23]</p> <p>At WGU we often have family members who are graduating together. Let me ask if you are a family member who is graduating together today to stand and be recognized. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:28:48]</p> <p>What a special occasion to see these families share this moment together. WGU is honored to recognized year after year as a military-friendly university. We would also like to ask if you are a military member who is in active duty, reservists, or a veteran to stand and be recognized. [Applause] We thank you for your service to our country.</p> <p>[00:29:27]</p> <p>If our students and alumni are the lifeblood of this institution, then our faculty and staff are its heart. With you today are many of our WGU faculty mentors and employees. Let me ask those employees to stand, and let me ask the graduates to please recognize them. [Applause] Most of them are behind you. </p> <p>[00:30:02]</p> <p>Last year WGU celebrated our 20th anniversary. And now, 21 years later, we have over 106,000 graduates. Today we recognize more than 1,062 graduates here in Seattle. Attending the ceremony in Seattle this morning we had 415 who received their Master's degree and this afternoon, we have 548 individuals receiving their Bachelor’s degree. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:30:42]</p> <p>You represent 38 states, Canada, and military installations overseas. It is truly our privilege to be among you. A few more facts. Thirty-nine percent are first-generation students who are the first in their family to complete a college degree. [Applause] Your average age is 39, with the youngest being 18 and the oldest being 86. [Applause] And among you who've received your bachelor's degree, on average you completed your degree in two years and four months, pretty impressive. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:31:40]</p> <p>We know that many of you struggle to balance work, family, and whatever else life throws at you. But now, you're a WGU graduate. And you can look life in the face and say, "What else do you got?"</p> <p>[00:31:54]</p> <p>Ceremonies, like today, play important role in your lives. They separate the extraordinary moments from our daily flow. They are moments that have special meaning and that should always be remembered. It is inspiring and uplifting moment to look upon you and consider your achievements, despite the many priorities and challenges you faced. You are the reason we have gathered here today. Today’s commencement marks a rite of passage to acknowledge your intellectual accomplishments and sets the stage for the rest of your life. </p> <p>[00:32:31]</p> <p>You join only 33 percent of adults in the U.S. who hold a bachelor's degree. Much will be expected of you as you continue your journey. Embrace those expectations and engage in leadership roles that will make us a better tomorrow. You have made a choice and put forward the efforts to attain milestones that will change the course of your personal histories. You have set the expectations for yourself, your family, and your loved ones. You have lifted your gaze and aspired to greater things. Never forget the privileges of your education. </p> <p>[00:33:09]</p> <p>Mostly we would like to thank you for letting us at WGU be part of your journey. We are proud of you and know that great things now await a new kind of you. Congratulations. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:33:32]</p> <p>We have a very special treat for you this afternoon. We have a wonderful keynote speaker. During his career as a television producer, writer, and performer. He won 29 Emmy awards, he was the creative force behind Seattle’s legendary comedy TV show, Almost Live. Under his leadership, the cast and crew that earned over 100 Emmys all on their own. Along the way he worked with people like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. He helped launch the careers of Joel McHale and Ellen DeGeneres. In his work as an entertainer and business leader, he demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning, a bond he shares with each and every student graduate of Western Governors University. Please help me give a big WGU welcome to Bill Stainton. [Applause]</p> <p>[00:34:45]</p> <p>Bill Stainton: Do you like sitting next to weird people? [Laughter] I don’t like sitting next to weird people. I think that’s true for most of us. Don't you think so? I mean, be honest, how many of you wish you could change seats right now? [Laughter]</p> <p>[00:35:02]</p> <p>Here’s the problem with that. It turns out that weird people, are almost never truly weird, they’re just different. And when we avoid people who are different, experiences that are different, ideas that are different, we’re just cheating ourselves. We're cheating ourselves of opportunities to learn and grow. And that’s not what being a WGU grad is all about, is it? Still, it’s easy to fall into the trap.</p> <p>[00:35:31]</p> <p>A few years ago I was flying home to Seattle from New York. Okay. I had an aisle seat. And in the middle seat was nobody. [Gasps] I know, right? So I’m doing my little internal happy dance, when just before the doors close one last passenger gets on the plane. </p> <p>[00:35:54]</p> <p>She was different. I don’t know what Methuselah’s grandmother actually looked like, but this had to be close. [Laughter] And she’s shuffling down the aisle. I’m looking around thinking, "Come on, Bill, don’t panic. It’s a big plane. I mean, what are the odds?" I’ll tell you what the odds were, 100 percent. [Laughter]</p> <p>[00:36:16]</p> <p>She stopped right beside me, pokes me with her bony finger, points to my empty seat, and says, "Please, I am there?" Sad dance. So I did what most of you might have done. I put on my headphones. I put on my headphones and I escaped into my music. Music. Music has always been my escape. </p> <p>[00:36:41]</p> <p>Whether I’m playing drums at a blues club or Chopin on my piano at home, music always been about music. And so for the next five hours, I escape. Beatles, Beethoven, Miles Davis. And then, because I had just finished a biography of one of my musical heroes, Stravinsky, I cap it off by listening to his magnificent "Firebird Suite". Beautiful piece of music. It should have been playing now, but it's not. [Laughter] But just imagine it. </p> <p>[00:37:14]</p> <p>As the plane descends into Seattle, middle seat pokes me once again. Apparently, it’s time for the obligatory final descent conversation. You know the one I'm talking about? "Is home for you?" "I'm sorry. What?" "Is home for you?" "Oh, Seattle? Yes, it is. Yes. How about you?" "No, I have long way to go. I go to Russia." "Yes, that is a long way." "Da, I have not been there since I was young woman. I was teacher." "What did you teach?" "Music." "Did you teach Russian music?" "Of course." "Okay, now, see, that’s amazing, because I was just listening -- I mean, like just now to Stravinsky’s 'Firebird Suite'." "Oh, Stravinsky, the 'Firebird'. I was with him when he wrote it."[Laughter][Gasps]</p> <p>[00:38:27]</p> <p>And then the plane pulled up to the gate and I never saw her again. I had just flown across the continent, separated by only five inches and a pair of headphones, from possibly the most fascinating person I would ever meet. And I didn’t know it until the last five minutes. I had completely written her off, for five hours, because she was different. </p> <p>[00:38:54]</p> <p>It’s easy to fall into the trap. And when we do that, we're only limiting your own growth. And that’s not who you are. You know why I know that? Because you’re here. People who aren’t interested in growth and learning, do not become graduates of Western Governors University. </p> <p>[00:39:12]</p> <p>When you made the decision to become part of the WGU family, you changed the trajectory of your life. I mean, you changed everything. First of all, you became night owls, whether you wanted to or not. [Laughter] That was forced on you. You learned valuable skills, like Task Stream stalking, right? Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Number 487? Come on. Refresh. Refresh. Number 509. How does that happen? [Laughter] That’s going to be your nightmare forever, by the way. That's yours. You own that now. [Laughter] </p> <p>[00:39:48]</p> <p>Now that you’re graduating and can finally emerge from the demanding university workload, many of you will be surprised to discover that you actually have significant others. [Laughter] Maybe even a spouse. This is the time to relearn things about them, like their name. [Laughter] So much to learn. </p> <p>[00:40:14]</p> <p>I got my pilot's license in 1984. And when the flight examiner certified me as a private pilot, he said something that’s always stuck with me. As he handed me my brand-new pilot's license he said to me, "This is a license to learn?" And that’s what your brand-new WGU degree is. It’s a license to learn. Yes, it’s a milestone. A big one. One that needs to celebrated, absolutely. But it’s not the end of the journey. It’s a license to learn. And that learning means being open to different people, different experiences, different ideas. </p> <p>[00:40:50]</p> <p>So you heard that I used to be a TV producer here in Seattle. So I want to take you back with me. January 10th, 1987. It’s a Saturday, it’s show night for us at Almost Live here in Seattle. And we are pumped. We are pumped. Because we’ve got a genuine big-name star to be a guest on the show that night. Our guest this night is this guy. [Photo of Johnny Depp] Johnny Depp. Okay now in fairness, he did not look like that then. [Laughter]</p> <p>[00:41:22]</p> <p>Did any of you, I don't know, maybe in your teens and 20s ever go through that awkward stage? Well, Johnny was going through his awkward stage, too. [Music plays] That was the music we should have heard earlier, but there we go. [Laughter] Johnny's awkward stage. [photo of Johnny Depp] I know. [Laughter] I mean, you guys in the audience, you men, can you imagine having to go through your teens and 20s looking like that? [Laughter]</p> <p>[00:41:53]</p> <p>Well, Johnny was shooting a TV series just up the street in Vancouver, BC called 21 Jump Street, and we got him. Happy dance. Until the morning of the show, my phone rings. "Bill, it’s Johnny Depp. Yeah, listen I’m not going to be able to make it tonight. No, they scheduled reshoots for Jump Street. I can’t get out of it. I’m really sorry, but I have to cancel." And the next slide. String of bad words! [Photo of a train wreck] There we go. String of bad words. [Laughter] </p> <p>[00:42:28]</p> <p>And now, we’re in a panic. I called an emergency meeting, and we try and come up with a guest for tonight’s show. "What about one of them Seahawks?" "No, they’re out of town?" "How about that cute new anchor at COMO TV?" "No, she’s in rehab?" Ugh. She was. [Laughter] And then she got fired. </p> <p>[00:42:50]</p> <p>And on and on it goes. And it's starting to look desperate, when all of the sudden one of my writers, in fact, my lowest paid writer, pops his head up and says, "Uh, I might be able to do something with liquid nitrogen." [Laughter] Clearly, he did not understand the situation. [Laughter] I mean, we’re looking for a guest for the show and he’s babbling on about liquid nitrogen. By the way, this was my lowest paid writer. [Photo of Bill Nye] [Laughter] His name was Bill. </p> <p>[00:43:25]</p> <p>Well, naturally, my first reaction to Bill’s suggestion was, "Shut up, Bill, you’re scaring us all?" [Laughter] Not my finest moment. But why was that my first reaction? It's because I was wearing blinders. I wasn’t open to something different. But then Bill started painting a verbal picture for us. "Hey, guys, no, this could work out. I mean, liquid nitrogen, it’s very cold. You take an onion, throw it in the liquid nitrogen, take a pair of tongs, pull the onion out, hit it with a hammer, it shatters like glass?" "Ahh, cool." [Laughter] </p> <p>[00:44:01]</p> <p>"No, guys, it gets better. You take a marshmallow, throw that in the liquid nitrogen, I take those tongs pull the marshmallow out, pop it in my mouth, bite down, smoke pours out of my nose and mouth." [Photo of Bill Nye] Cool. And that night, this happened. [Video of Bill Nye with the marshmallow]</p> <p>[00:44:37]</p> <p>And it was then that this guy became this guy. [Photo of Bill Nye the Science Guy] [Applause and cheers] Who now hangs out with these guys. [Photo of Bill Nye, President Barrack Obama, and Neil deGrasse Tyson] [Applause]</p> <p>[00:44:54]</p> <p>Why? Because he was different from us. We were all writers and producers. Bill Nye was, and is, a science guy. When Bill Nye the Science Guy got his own TV show he taped a list of objectives to the wall of his studio. Do you know what objective number one was? "Change the world." The power of different people, different experiences, different ideas, is the power to change the world. </p> <p>[00:45:28]</p> <p>So, congratulations, night owls, you did it. You made the hard choice, you made the brave choice, and you saw it through. You’ve proven your commitment to education. So take the blinders off. Put the headphones away. Be open to the new, the different, and, yes, even the weird, because the journey’s not over. Your diploma is a license to learn. It’s a license to grow. It’s a license to change the world. Thanks very much. [Applause]</p> <p>[00:46:12]</p> <p>Dr. Tanya Drake: Please give it up one more time for Bill. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:46:22]</p> <p>I told you you were in for a special treat. We have a couple more wonderful speakers, two of which are graduates here today. The first is Radir. Sorry. Radru Yes, we practiced this a million times. Sorry. Vegaraju, who is getting her Bachelors of Science in Health Informatics, as well as Clint Cole, who's getting his Bachelors of Science in Business Management. Following their speeches, our Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Marni Baker Stein, will confer your degrees. Please welcome to the stage our first speaker, Madhuri. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:47:15]</p> <p>Madhuri Vegaraju: Hello, everyone. How are you doing? [Cheers] Good afternoon, honorable guests, faculty members, family, friends, and fellow graduates. Congratulations, we did it. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:47:36]</p> <p>Looking back a few years, I believed I had the knowledge and skills to perform my job. I don't need a degree. I already have an exciting career and life. What would a certificate add? I was wrong. Let me tell you why.</p> <p>[00:47:55]</p> <p>After my associate's degree in electronics, I taught myself programming because I loved coding and got a job as a developer. I progressed well in my career and the current solutions that I'm currently building have a direct impact on healthcare delivery. And I'm very proud of that.</p> <p>[00:48:16] </p> <p>Although I noticed that in spite of my knowledge and skill, I was having difficulty communicating confidently and contributing during discussions. I realized working with my peers with higher degrees was stressing me out. I also felt my self-esteem and confidence gradually dwindling.</p> <p>[00:48:42]</p> <p>The lack of confidence started to impact the quality of work. That was a warning. I had two options. One, to just give up on me. Or two, take action to improve. I chose to improve. And so did you all.</p> <p>[00:49:08] </p> <p>I thought a degree may help getting back my confidence. So I started my search for online degrees and nothing was appealing. Either the schedule was very difficult to meet or very expensive that it would leave a huge hole in my bank account. I wasn't ready for that. That's when I learned about WGU through a Facebook ad. See, Facebook addiction is not so bad after all. [Laughter] </p> <p>[00:49:45]</p> <p>WGU's competency-based curriculum excited me. The option to set my own pace, my own schedule, and pay per term excited me. That's exactly what I wanted. I pursued health informatics degree program because it had the direct potential to help me perform better in my current job. Everything I learned through this program had real-world relevance to the job. And I think that's awesome. Seeing the value of the program, MCG Health, has decided to pay for my education in full. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:50:36]</p> <p>This newfound knowledge almost immediately helped me better cater to my business needs. And definitely brought back my confidence. This journey also helped me embrace writing. I never liked writing. Even writing an email was a very strenuous task for me. Thankfully this encouragement came with a lot of support from my mentors, who proofed my papers number of times and very patiently helped me improve. Thank you very much for that. </p> <p>[00:51:13] </p> <p>My oldest son used to review my papers occasionally. And now he says, "Your writing has improved quite a lot, Mom," and that is a proud moment. He's right there. And we both graduated in the same year. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:51:40]</p> <p>This degree not directly, but also gave me my most awaited promotion as a software architect, and I'm proud to say that I'm the first female architect at my company [Applause] </p> <p>[00:51:59]</p> <p>It wasn't easy, as you all know. We had all spent late nights. There were several obstacles, challenges, and frustrations along the way. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the faculty, and my colleagues who helped me through this journey. I want a special shout out to my two great mentors, student mentors, [Rainey Toulbert?] and [Rainey Smith?]. [Applause] And all my coach mentors who worked very hard for my success and supported me through this journey. It almost felt like I'm their only student. They were always available for me.</p> <p>[00:52:49] </p> <p>My family, my husband and my two wonderful boys, and my parents from India, are my greatest strength. They push me forward and supported me in all my craziness. Love you guys. [Applause] I'm sure my mom and dad are watching me live now from India. It's 3:00 a.m. in the morning. My colleagues and friends cheered me for my every little success and helped me keep move forward. Thank you very much for that. </p> <p>[00:53:22]</p> <p>What a journey this has been. I learned to work smart, not hard. I now know how to organize my priorities and get them all done effectively. This experience also taught me to focus on excellence and success is inevitable. I learned to face the challenges and by accepting them as opportunities, they help us grow. So accept the challenges more. I learned failure happens only when you do not learn from your mistakes. We all pushed a little harder to meet our goals. I, like many of you, learned the value of patience and persistence. Of course, watching Task Stream has taught us the patience and persistence of course. </p> <p>[00:54:19]</p> <p>What a feat it was to earn my bachelor's degree in two years all while performing my full-time demanding job, handling two demanding teenagers, helping an ambitious husband make movies as a hobby, and I'm still not done. I'm going to go for my master's very soon with WGU. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:54:49]</p> <p>In closing, good things come to those who believe. Better things come to those who are patient. Best things come to those who never give up. This is the best thing that happened to me and to us because we did not give up. Congratulations again. Keep rocking. Thank you. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:55:25]</p> <p>Clint Cole: We've arrived. [Cheers] Through obstacles, and challenges, and difficulties, we arrived. Let's take a second though and think about where the journey started. If you're like me, it didn't start when you sent in your application for admission. It started before that. </p> <p>[00:55:50]</p> <p>For me, I remember the exact moment that it started. I was standing on the side of the street next to a Greyhound bus saying goodbye to my wife and my kids. I wouldn't see them again for another two months. More than two months. When I got on the bus, it took me to my new job as a long-haul truck driver. And on the trip, I did something that I never let them see me do, I cried.</p> <p>[00:56:21]</p> <p>When my wife went into labor, I was 1,242 miles away. She lay in the hospital, and I couldn't be there for her. And I didn't just miss the big things that you know you'd miss. I missed the little things, too. I missed every trip to the beach. I missed the baseball games. I missed the music recitals. I missed those things that're not going to happen again.</p> <p>[00:56:52]</p> <p>And every day away from my family was pain. It couldn't go on. It couldn't go on like that. Sure, trucking did let me earn the kind of life that would support my family with what they deserved, but they deserved a dad, too. So I started to get my degree. And I got it the only way I could do it and continue to do my job was to do it online. And so I drove the truck 70 hours a week. And once I had enough experience, I started to train student drivers and after I finished driving my part, and I was training them how to drive their part, I'd sit in the passenger seat, and I'd read. </p> <p>[00:57:35]</p> <p>I read, and I studied, and I memorized. I remember I learned about the humanities while I was riding through West Texas. I learned statistics when I was stuck in traffic in Los Angeles. [Laughter] Right up there on I-5, I learned economics.</p> <p>[00:58:02] </p> <p>Through winding forests and up and down the sides of mountains, I got my education. It wasn't easy. There were times I wanted to give up or at least take some kind of a break. What else was I going to do? Look out the window? Every day that it took me to get my education was one less day that I could spend with my family. One less day that I could watch my kids grow. That's some powerful motivation.</p> <p>[00:58:35]</p> <p>So in two years, I earned my four-year degree. Inside a moving vehicle while working more than full-time. Every mile brought me that much closer to my goals. And I had a number of jobs I would have loved, but the number one job that I wanted was to be a commissioned officer in the Air Force. And the same month that I graduated and got my degree, the Air Force selected me for my commission. [Applause] </p> <p>[00:59:13]</p> <p>Thank you. Soon I'll begin that career of service to my country and to you. The last mille of that journey, that's done. I stand with you together now as we cross a momentous threshold. Before me sits teachers, and nurses, and masters of business, and information technology.</p> <p>[00:59:40]</p> <p>You've shown that you can complete the goals that you've set for yourself. None of us were handed this. It didn't come easy. We've all had our unique challenges. We've all had our unique obstacles. We've all had to work for it. So I understand you. I understand that you ask yourself constantly, "Why can't I be more? Why can't I do more? Why can't I give more back to my community and my country?" </p> <p>[01:00:10]</p> <p>We know that although that journey is done, we still have a long story to continue. And so now today, I have a new challenge for you. Find your next journey. Set your next goals and continue. Faculty, loved ones, and graduates, thank you. [Applause] </p> <p>[01:00:44]</p> <p>Dr. Marni Baker Stein: Thank you to our commencement speakers for those powerful stories. It's just amazing. All right. Just a second. Okay. Let's get down to business. [Laughter] We will now recognize each of our bachelor's degree graduates.</p> <p>[01:01:10]</p> <p>Would the candidates for bachelor's degrees, post-baccalaureate degrees, and teacher preparation endorsements please rise, including those of you watching this by webcast, wherever you may be? [Applause] </p> <p>[01:01:39]</p> <p>Okay. Now please be seated just for a moment. [Laughter] Up and down. [Chuckles] The following are the leaders from each of our colleges who will now present the diplomas to our graduates.</p> <p>[01:01:57]</p> <p>Heather Roche, Senior Manager, Program Faculty Teachers College. Mitsu Frazier, Vice President, Academic Operations, College of Business. [Applause] Jan Jones-Schenk, Academic Vice President, College of Health Professions. [Applause] John Balderree, Vice President, Academic Operations, College of Information Technology. [Applause] Heather?</p> <p>[01:02:32]</p> <p>[Reading Names]</p> <p>[01:40:18] </p> <p>Dr. Marni Baker Stein: Please be seated just for a moment. Graduates, please accept our sincere congratulations. All of us at WGU are very proud of you and we welcome you into our community of alumni now 106,000 strong. </p> <p>[01:40:43]</p> <p>For many of you earning your diploma is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal. The academic degree you've earned at WGU will open doors for you and allow you to explore new opportunities. But it’s important to remember that commencement is not the end. It represents a new beginning. I encourage you to explore your dreams, dare to discover, and follow your passions. Whatever you choose to do, do it as well as you possibly can, and great things will follow. </p> <p>[01:41:21]</p> <p>Learning is a lifelong journey and one that’s now a habit of both your mind and your heart. I urge you as you continue this journey, to reach out to others in pursuit of their dreams, identify meaningful ways to contribute to your communities and to your neighbors, and help us find our way as a united country to a brighter pathway for our children and our children’s children. </p> <p>[01:41:50]</p> <p>Now, this is a little corny, but let's take a moment to celebrate with a selfie. It's my favorite thing to do. [Laughter] As you celebrate on social media, please remember to use the hashtag #WGUGrad so we can all celebrate together. So let's get this going here. Get you in the background. [Laughter and cheers]</p> <p>[01:42:21]</p> <p>That's awesome. This now concludes our commencement ceremony. Please remain seated until our graduates have filed out. Thank you so much. [Applause]</p> <p>[Music plays] </p>