2011 Commencement Ceremony—Miami, FL

January 21, 2012

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Stan Paz: Good afternoon.

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My name is Stan Paz, and I have the privilege of serving as a member of the Board of Directors at Walden University. I am pleased to welcome all of you to Walden’s 47th Commencement ceremony.

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What a wonderful milestone we celebrate here today. I would like to thank all of our graduates and their family and friends who are with us here in Miami as well as those joining us live via webcast. I would also like to thank my fellow board members, the university leadership, and our distinguished faculty for being here with us.

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You should know that all of us take great pride in your achievements. 

Your collective efforts extend far beyond the boundaries of the United States. The display of national flags you see behind me represents the geographic diversity of the afternoon’s graduates. From left to right, this graduating class is represented by the United States of America, Algeria, Australia, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Hong Kong, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Republic of Kosovo, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and the Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates, United States Virgin Islands.

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On a more somber note, I also want to share that, since we last gathered together at commencement, our academic community has lost several valued members:
Danielle Dohrman, MSN student, College of Health Sciences; Merle Hamburger, faculty member, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Charles McCannon, B.S. student, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership; Lynette Theresa Mohr, Ed.D. student, The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership; Susan M. Rudin, Ph.D. student and M.S. alumna, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Please join me in a moment of silent tribute to them.

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We would also like to take this time to acknowledge the men and women who are serving their country in the armed forces, particularly our students, and those who are family members and friends of the Walden community.

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We also remember and honor the members of the armed forces who have been lost serving their countries and extend our warm thoughts to their families and loved ones.