Nearly 600 students to graduate Saturday

As students gear up for finals week, a collection of seniors will also say goodbye to the University of South Dakota as they move forward in their careers at an alternative time compared to the typical May graduation date.

There are 375 undergraduate and 200 graduate students participating in the 39th Winter Session Commencement Saturday, which is consistent to December graduation numbers in recent years, said USD’s registrar Jennifer Thompson.

“We do not yet have the the official candidate list for spring 2015, but we had approximately 1,400 candidates for degree during spring 2014,” Thompson said. “I expect that number to be roughly the same or higher.”

Senior Grant Lockner, a media and journalism major with a specialization in strategic communications, found out last spring from his adviser that he could graduate in three and a half years, and has planned on doing so ever since.

Lockner is able to graduate early because of college credits he earned in high school and through summer courses. He said this semester he has been busy searching for a job, and he recently accepted a digital marketing specialist position at carsforsale.com in Sioux Falls.

“I was really excited to finish up and see what jobs are out there,” Lockner said. “I’d much rather be there than in school.”

Lockner is married and is expecting a baby in February – which he didn’t know when his adviser told him about the possibility of graduating early.

“It works out perfectly for us,” Lockner said. “But initially I was just thinking the sooner I can get into the workforce, the better. That’s what I’m excited about, and that’s what I want to do ultimately. I enjoyed my time at school, but I just feel like I’m ready to move on.”

Because he will still be close to his friends, Lockner said he doesn’t feel like he’s missing out on anything, like some other early graduates may feel.

“People might feel like they’re cutting out of things early, but I’m ready to graduate,” Lockner said. “I feel like I’ve learned what I need to and I’m ready to move on.”

Senior Wesley Ruden, a marketing major, thought about graduating early, but didn’t want too heavy of a course load.

Ruden switched from a health service administration major, which he said didn’t set him back, but he was content finishing in four years.

“The course load was a big one. It just made my semesters a little more easy instead of having to load up courses during the summer-time or just in the school semesters,” Ruden said. “I don’t have to overwhelm myself.”

As far as job searching goes, Ruden said he doesn’t think graduating with more students will put him at too much of a disadvantage.

“I’m not too worried about it,” Ruden said. “If there’s a job available, there’s a job available.”

Ruden said activities like basketball and a spring break are some events students graduating early will miss out on.

“I just feel like there’s a lot going on in the spring semester,” Ruden said.

Kylee Gant, the director of recruitment and selection for Northwestern Mutual in Sioux Falls, is looking for new hires year-round.

“Typically, we look for people in the Sioux Falls area. However, if I come across quality candidates who are maybe a few hours away or in different states, I will gladly refer them to other offices that are suited for their region,” Gant said.

In her 11 months with Northwestern Mutual, Gant said the company has hired three USD graduates for full-time positions. Other than a few interns from different schools, she has not yet hired any December graduates.

Gant said the graduation time “really doesn’t matter,” but December graduates can get contracted by the end of the year, giving them a fresh start in January.

“That way we can kind of track their progress year-to-year as it goes along the calendar year,” Gant said. “But would it be less beneficial for someone to come in to our business starting in May? Not at all.”

Jennifer Adams, now in her fourth year as the human resources director at Behavioral Health Specialists in Norfolk, Neb., is another employer constantly looking for potential candidates to hire.

Adams said she remembers there was one USD graduate hired as a therapist last fall, but didn’t have further statistics on new hires.

When it comes to hiring, Adams said she’s not too concerned about the time a student graduates.

“We don’t have a preference, however, I have noticed that with the December grads, we tend to give them more attention because there’s just less of them,” Adams said. “And so when we have that need, just having less options for new grads, that is a bonus at that point.”

Both Gant and Adams agree that graduating early can work in students’ favor when job searching.

“I do think that December grads have a little bit of a competitive edge, just because there aren’t so many graduates at that time looking for positions,” Gant said.

Thompson said she doesn’t believe students who graduate early are missing out on anything, but it’s ultimately a personal decision.

“Each ceremony is unique to the season, highlighting the academic accomplishments of our students,” Thompson said. “Commencement truly is the culminating event in the students’ academic career.”

The commencement ceremony for this semester’s graduates is slated for Dec. 13 in the DakotaDome at 10 a.m.

(Photo: Laura Lockner, left, adjusts the graduation cap of her husband Grant Lockner, right, Tuesday evening at their home in Vermillion. Grant Lockner is one of nearly 600 University of South Dakota students graduating Saturday. Maggie Malathip / The Volante).