The University of Findlay held fall commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 17, in the Koehler Fitness and Recreation Complex on campus. Approximately 260 degrees were awarded.  

Nearly 125 master’s degrees were awarded, as well as more than 120 bachelor’s degrees and 14 associate’s degrees. 

Click here to view the full list of graduates.

Commencement activities began on Saturday morning with a baccalaureate service at 11 a.m. in Ritz Auditorium, followed by an annual brunch, hosted by the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations, for graduates and their families.  

The baccalaureate speaker was Pastor James Wilder, a 2006 graduate of The University of Findlay, who earned a master of divinity degree from Winebrenner Theological Seminary (WTS) in 2010 and is an ordained minister.  

Wilder discussed the day’s reading, Mark 2:1-12, in which Jesus was preaching powerfully and performing many miracles, which led four men to bring a paralyzed friend to him for healing, even tearing apart the roof of the crowded house where Jesus was preaching to get their friend close to him.  

Wilder encouraged the graduates to display the qualities the man’s friends showed so strongly: faith, hope and love.  

First, “They believed that Jesus cared about their friend and could do something about” his paralysis, Wilder said, displaying qualities of faith and hope. And their love for their friend was so great, “they were passionate about getting their friend what he needed.”  

Wilder currently serves WTS in the areas of admissions, marketing and church relations, and in addition, has served as associate pastor of Seville Community and New Haven Churches of God in Michigan and as pastor of the Union Chapel Church of God in Bryan, Ohio.  

Following are several photos from Commencement. Click here to view and download more photos.

Dr. Katherine Fell addresses the graduates prior to the processional.

Jack Taylor, right, directs the UF Brass Ensemble prior to commencement ceremonies.

Master of business administration graduates wait for the ceremonies to begin following the processional.

Dee Dee Spraw, director of alumni and parent relations, and Donald Collins, faculty marshal, congratulate a new alumnus as he exits the stage.

Speaker Lydia Mihalik, mayor-elect of Findlay, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UF in 2002, and “as a political scientist at heart, I like to compare and contrast,” she said.

Lydia Mihalik ’02 speaks to the graduates.

She gave several examples of the differences between the news headlines of 2002 and of 2011, pointing out to graduates just how quickly the world can change.  

She encouraged the graduates to live the University’s mission statement, which calls for equipping graduates for meaningful lives and productive careers.  

“Your job is to validate UF’s mission by making choices that reflect what you have learned here,” she said. “Wherever you go, whatever you do, find a way to practice servant leadership,” contributing to the well-being of other people and the community.  

While there will always be challenges, “stay true to your standards and push forward relentlessly.”

Mihalik also asked the class members for the privilege of joining them as they walked through the Griffith Memorial Arch, something she missed because of her commitments as a member of the women’s basketball team during her time at UF.  
Click here to read Mihalik’s full address.

The University’s traditional Arch Ceremony followed commencement at the Griffith Memorial Arch. The Arch is named for Caddie A. Griffith, Class of 1909. Click here to read more about the tradition.

Dee Dee Spraw rings the UF bell on the Cory Street Mall as the graduates head toward the Griffith Memorial Arch.

New graduates exit through the Griffith Memorial Arch, completing a long-standing tradition at the University.

Hannah Wurm, a public relations major, smiles as she waits for her family to join her on the front lawn.

All graduates are members of the Alumni Association. Please visit the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations Web page, call 419-434-4516 or email DeeDee Spraw spraw@findlay.edu.