When one thinks about graduation, images of a great celebration may come to mind. Some people picture all the graduates walking up on stage to receive their diplomas.

There is one celebration like this each school year, and it takes place in the spring at the end of the second semester. So, what happens if one graduates in December?

“Well, there is no ceremony in December for those graduating in December,” said Kristi Vogel, associate registrar. “Graduates are invited to the main 2015 graduation ceremony in May.”

In addition to December graduates, Lakeland College also has another group that graduates at a different time of the year.

“We also have Jan. 3 graduates. (They are) our student teachers,” said Vogel. “They are invited to the May ceremony as well.”

The decision to return in May to walk across the stage is left entirely to the students.

“I feel like coming back in May makes it feel more official,” said Amanda Flanagan, a senior exercise science major who anticipates graduating this December. “I wish there was a December graduation ceremony (though) because everyone who graduates in May gets to walk right away, but we have to wait five months to walk across the stage.”

This year, December graduates are getting their diplomas immediately. In the past, graduates had to wait to receive them until the end of the second semester.

Advantages of attending the May ceremony include walking down the aisle and listening to a keynote speaker. There is no valedictorian or salutatorian at graduation because Lakeland does not rank its students; however, there are graduation honors.

“The catalog states that in order to be eligible for graduation honors, a student must complete a minimum of one-half of the coursework (60 semester hours) required for graduation through Lakeland College,” Vogel said. “Only those grades earned in Lakeland courses will be used when calculating Lakeland grade-point averages. Summa Cum Laude is a 3.8 to 4, Magna Cum Laude is a 3.6 to 3.79 and Cum Laude is 3.5 to 3.59.”

With the December graduation, graduates will have to either wait for the ceremony or celebrate on their own. Whether or not they choose to return, they have successfully accomplished their studies and earned a Lakeland College degree.

List of December 2014 Graduates:
Terence Bedford Exercise science and sport studies with a sport study emphasis
Amanda Chapman Criminal justice
Emily Cook Business management
Krystina Cook Business management
Farouk Dadzie Criminal justice
Rebecca Elliott Art-graphic with an arts emphasis
Amanda Flanagan Exercise science and sport studies with an exercise emphasis
Daniel Fochs Accounting with a forensic/fraud emphasis
Joseph Gramling Computer science
Eunji Han Hospitality management
Matthew Hill Criminal justice
Zachary Hunter Hospitality management
Christian Jaskulski Exercise science and sport studies with a sport study emphasis
Dylan Kelly Computer science
Ann Kincaid General music education with an instrumental concentration
Jennifer Kjin Nonprofit organization management
Katie LaPlaunt Art with a graphic arts emphasis
Cody Lemke Accounting
Deric Lightle Exercise science and sport studies with a sport study emphasis
Dustin Long Psychology
Michael Looby Exercise science and sport studies with a sport study emphasis
Tyler Malwitz Biology
Armella Miller Accounting with a forensic/fraud emphasis
Chantanni Moua Sociology
Takahiro Nabeta Resort management
Eduardo Orihuela Exercise science and sport studies with an exercise emphasis
Pablo Palacios Computer science
Jana Peterson Business management
Camilo Portillo-Yanez International business
Joshua Reynders Mathematics
Braden Riederer Business management
Rebecca Schmidt Business management
Cody Schnell Art-graphic with an arts emphasis
Carrie Senkbeil Sociology
Erica Sommerfield Middle childhood-early adolescence education (grades 1-8)
Lisa Steppe Accounting
Alec Szalewski Criminal justice
Christopher Young Exercise science and sport studies with a sport study emphasis
Daniel Zea Zapata Communication