Thousands of friends and family members descended upon Eastern Washington University’s Cheney campus June 13–14 to cheer on their favorite graduates.
The two-day celebration – a welcome return to tradition after eight years of holding commencement in Spokane – included six ceremonies. Some 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students from EWU’s four colleges participated in this year’s commencements. More than 30 Eastern faculty and staff members volunteered at the event to ensure everything ran smoothly.
During her commencement addresses, President Shari McMahan encouraged the graduating classes to make a difference.
“Graduates, no one person is going to save the world and no one person is going to solve all the problems,” McMahan said. “Remember one thing can make a difference.”
Among those making a difference is Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures and a recipient of this year’s honorary Doctorate of Arts.
Orr earned a Bachelor of Science in organizational and mass communications in 1983. As a junior, he was named one of Eastern’s “Students of the Year” by the EWU Alumni Association.
Orr’s role at Universal Pictures includes developing release strategies for some of the biggest films in North America, including recent Academy Award-winning titles such as Oppenheimer and Wicked.
He gives back to Eastern by hosting students from EWU’s Film & Digital Media program at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, offering them a firsthand look at the movie industry and insights from professionals working at the top of their craft. He also serves on EWU’s Comprehensive Campaign Committee.
Orr’s inspirational commencement address, delivered at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences ceremony on June 13, brought a “little bit of Hollywood to Cheney” with a preview of the soon-to-be-released film How to Train Your Dragon. It also included a message from M3GAN 2.0’s evil robot that says, “Go Eagles.”
Orr, who is still close friends with his college roommate from Eastern, emphasized that time flies quickly. “So do things, go places, meet people, take risks and enjoy the process along the way,” he said.
Orr encouraged students to find their passion, “stick with it and navigate the roadblocks that I know will pop up” and to build connections and show gratitude to the people who support you along the way.
Armani Orange, a 22-year-old from Moreno Valley, California, had plenty of thanks for the people who supported him as he juggled classes while playing safety on the Eagles football team.
“They supported me all the way through the four years,” said Orange. “It’s been much support from the coaches, the teachers and staff and everyone – my friends and family everywhere – that’s what kept me going.”
Orange, who earned a bachelor’s in business management, plans to go into real estate but is also considering repairing aircraft, boat and dirt bike engines.
Dustin Semb, a lecturer in management, was on the red turf congratulating Orange and other students. “It’s great. I get the opportunity to teach them around the 300-level through graduation and, oftentimes, into grad school,” said Semb, adding that watching students develop and reach the culmination of earning a degree is “really, really cool.”
Avery Knochel, a 24-year-old from Hardinsburg, Kentucky, received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Over the past two years, Knochel held a graduate service appointment (GSA) writing for EWU’s University Relations department while earning her degree.
As a GSA, Knochel authored InsideEWU articles highlighting Eastern’s stories. She also wrote the Wellness Wednesday e-news column, providing faculty and staff with updates on wellness resources. “I feel like I really have the full scope of writing under my belt – and I could go with any career path and use my writing skills I learned here,” she said.
Knochel plans to pursue positions in teaching or traditional journalism. In the meantime, she’ll finish her first novel. Set against the backdrop of the Kentucky Derby, All the Sinners features characters who are “lying and doing some things that they shouldn’t” as a murder takes place.
The first 100 pages of All the Sinners served as her thesis project, said Knochel, who worked with her advisor to complete about two-thirds of the book. “I’m just really grateful for my time here at Eastern,” Knochel said.
Patricia Sees of Auburn, Washington, will celebrate her 40th birthday with a commencement party after earning her Master of Business Administration degree. She was among the students who connected online and traveled from throughout the country to celebrate graduation in-person on EWU’s Cheney campus.
Sees, a married mother of two, completed her coursework while working full time doing payroll for the City of Renton, managing a family business renovating and selling properties, and a personal business providing payroll, accounting and tax services for small businesses.
The online MBA program was both flexible and engaging. “There were so many interesting people – other students and a professor that I met who really helped me through,” Sees said.
Sees is excited for what the future will bring and is even considering pursuing a doctorate. “My dream was always to get a master’s degree. I’m a lifelong learner, so this was a very rewarding experience,” she said.
Photo Highlights of EWU June Commencements
Aaron Weer and Natalie Ekdahl contributed to this photo gallery.
