Marking Achievements at Ave Maria University’s Commencement Day

ABOVE: Proud Ave Maria University graduates celebrate. RIGHT: Provost Roger Nutt (left), commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient Fr. Mike Schmitz and President Mark Middendorf (right). SANDRA YEYATI / AVE MARIA SUN

The Ave Maria University (AMU) commencement on May 4 at the new Golisano Field House celebrated the achievements of 277 graduating students, awarding 251 bachelor’s degrees, 24 master’s degrees and two doctorates. Nearly half of the graduates were originally from Florida. The others came from 36 states and five countries, including Aruba, Canada, France, Germany and Spain. Women represented 57% of the class.

“One interesting anecdote that is worth mentioning is that this class entered in the fall of 2020 in the height of COVID-19 uncertainty, so they showed a lot of courage in leaving their homes and coming from around the country and around the world to come to school here, and have shown an enormous amount of perseverance getting to this day,” said Provost Roger Nutt, who holds a doctorate in theology and is responsible for academic programming at the university.

In a heartwarming homecoming, Nicholas Healy, the school’s first president from 1999 to 2011, received an honorary degree in recognition of his foundational commitment to the university that continues to this day. Mr. Healy and his wife Jane, who have been married for 60 years, spend their winters in Ave Maria.

Delivering an inspiring commencement speech, Father Mike Schmitz also received an honorary degree. He is the director of the Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth, chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and the widely popular podcaster of “Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year,” produced by Ascension.

Eleven students completed their master’s degrees in business administration. It is the largest MBA class in AMU’s history, underscoring a noteworthy trend. “The number of MBA graduates were in the ones and twos a couple of years ago, and by next fall when we reconvene, there will be nearly 50 students in the program, so the popularity of that program is really accelerating. We see exponential growth in future years already,” Nutt remarked.

ABOVE LEFT: Valedictorian Leila Joy Castillo delivers her address. TOP RIGHT: A graduation message. ABOVE RIGHT: Fr. Joseph Lugalambi delivers the invocation. LEFT: Nursing graduate Danielle Latelle (left) and theology alumnus Josh Carlson (right). BELOW: Grads in prayer.

Another significant showing was in health- and science-related studies, including exercise physiology, health science, nursing, biology and biochemistry. “There’s a strong healthcare and pre-med culture on the campus,” explained Nutt. “Nursing is very strong, but four of the top 10 or 11 majors at the university are in the biology department.”

Philosophy and theology have always been core strengths at the university, and this year is no different, with 12 and 19 bachelor’s degrees, respectively, as well as 13 master’s degrees in theology and two doctorates in philosophy. Regardless of their major, every AMU student must fulfi ll a core curriculum that includes three theology and three philosophy classes.c

ct According to Nutt, “For the committed student who knows that nnb they want to be an entrepreneur or a doctor or a lawyer or a nurse, Ave Maria University has become Acl a very attractive place.” All students must also complete courses in literature, math and languages, wci with an emphasis on writing skills and the ability to communicate effectively. The idea is to help AMU students become well-rounded individuals able to confront an ever-changing world and job market.

“It’s tempting for schools today to be hyper-specialized such that three or three-and-a-half of the four years are taken up by courses directly related to the major, but we find that the blend between the liberal arts foundation and the specialized courses in the major is a better overall formation and gives them more agility,” Nutt said. “At some schools, you can be challenged somewhat academically, but the unique thing about Ave Maria University is that the students are challenged simultaneously to pursue human and professional excellence while also being challenged to grow spiritually and make it their own.”

“The blend between students in science, business and pre-professional programs like nursing and elementary education, and then the traditional humanities like theology and philosophy, shows the maturation of Ave Maria University as a comprehensive university,” Nutt asserted. “That was part of our founder Tom Monaghan’s vision from the start. Because of our Catholic identity and liberal arts mission, he wanted to make sure that we were very strong in philosophy and theology and the humanities, but he also wanted to found a comprehensive university in the sense of having majors across the disciplines. I think the spread seen among the students and their interests shows that as we now mature into our third decade, we are realizing the vision of being comprehensive in nature, and not just one or two specialized programs.”

According to Nutt, AMU students are in an enviable position, uniquely poised to find satisfying futures. In nursing, for example, where there is a high demand, students are often recruited by headhunters and sometimes even receive signing bonuses. Several students, both men and women, are entering the seminary or religious life. Many students will go on to impressive and attractive graduate programs, too.

“I’m happy for them,” Nutt reflected. “They’re a coveted bunch of people in church, corporate world and graduate schools. Anecdotally, I can say that I am not aware of a single instance where a student who wants an opportunity hasn’t been able to find one.”

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