Justice Kautz keynote speaker for EWC commencement

Leann Mattis
Posted 5/17/22

Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) held its class of 2022 commencement

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Justice Kautz keynote speaker for EWC commencement

Posted

TORRINGTON – Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) held its class of 2022 commencement ceremonies on Friday with Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Keith Kautz as the keynote speaker. 

Graduates earning an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Associate Degree in Nursing participated in a 10 a.m. ceremony and graduates earning an Associate of Applied Science or Certificate participated in a 2 p.m. ceremony.

Mrs. Kelly Strampe, Associate Professor – English and Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences Department Head, served as the Master of Ceremony for both ceremonies.

Student Senate President, Mr. Jonathan Pieper addressed the graduates on behalf of the students.

Interim President Dr. Richard Patterson provided a welcome and introduced  special guests. Patterson mentioned it’s been a tough year, but it’s also been a very productive year.

“Our students have worked hard, and they have performed exceptionally well both in the classroom and extracurricular activities. Just some examples such as our business majors who competed at the Wyoming collegiate business ethics case competition in Laramie on April 8, just about a month ago, and they won,” Patterson said.

“43 students were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, our Honor Society, on February 15. Entry requires high academic performance, and this was the largest class of PTK inductees ever in EWC’s history. Some things are working well.”

Patterson also mentioned EWC’s 2022 graduating class included high school seniors from its service area participating in the dual and concurrent enrollment program graduating with their associate degrees at the same time as their high school diplomas; three seniors from Douglas High School, two from Newcastle High School, four from Moorcroft High School and three from Torrington High school. 

Keynote speaker, Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Kautz congratulated the graduates on their success. He mentioned having grown up in Goshen County on a farm, graduating from Torrington High School, attending classes at EWC and then on to becoming an adjunct instructor all led to him holding EWC in high regard. 

“This is one fantastic place, I hold this place in the highest regard,” Kautz said. “Graduates you are truly fortunate, in my opinion to have attended school here. Congratulations. I think this is a great place to start your life of success.”

EWC Foundation President Mr. Todd Peterson presented the 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Buffy Kelly and the Albert C. Conger Distinguished Service Award to Mike Varney.