Bethel Commencement 2016

Bethel University held three commencement ceremonies for traditional undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences on May 21 and three ceremonies on May 22 for the College of Adult & Professional Studies, the Graduate School, and Bethel Seminary St. Paul. Bethel Seminary San Diego will hold an additional  commencement ceremony on May 28 in San Diego.

Bethel’s first nurse-midwifery students graduated on May 22 after completing the university’s 20-month online program that includes a two-week, on-campus intensive each year. Read more about the certified nurse-midwife program. In addition, Bethel graduated its first class of graphic design majors in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Including the 10 nurse-midwifery students and five graphic design students, more than 1,230 students graduated from Bethel in December and May. This May, 473 graduated from the traditional undergraduate program, 417 post-traditional students graduated in St. Paul, and 38 students graduated in San Diego.

Business woman, investor, and social entrepreneur Trina White-Maduro ’93 was the commencement speaker for the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Adult & Professional Studies, and the Graduate School. As a student at Bethel, White-Maduro was the first student leader of United Cultures of Bethel (UCB) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work. “The world is hungry for your intellect and values,” White-Maduro told the graduating students. “What America really wants right now is authenticity, trust, and realness. And the world is starving for leaders they can trust.”

Joel K. Johnson ’82, S’86, senior pastor at Westwood Community Church in Chanhassen, Minnesota, was the commencement speaker for Bethel Seminary St. Paul, and Siang-Yang Tan, professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, is the commencement speaker for Bethel Seminary San Diego.