When Adams State University celebrates its December 2018 graduating class, it will recognize students who are first in their families to graduate from college, students who migrated to the United States, students who hail from the San Luis Valley, and students who academically have excelled.
Adams State’s Fall Commencement Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, in Plachy Hall. The University will award 250 degrees: 120 bachelor’s degrees and 130 associate degrees. Family and friends unable to attend the commencement ceremony can watch the graduation ceremony live through Adams State’s Facebook page, facebook.com/adamsstate or by visiting www.adams.edu/live.
Below is a sampling of the outstanding graduates who are ready to make their mark on the world, joining 20,915 Adams State alumni.
Vince Alcon will be the student commencement speaker. He is majoring in business administration: Born and raised in the Philippines, Alcon and his family migrated to the United States for more opportunities and a better education. “ASU has helped me shape my voice, give it a direction and also empowered me to fight for what I believe in and to never back down.” Along with being a dorm resident assistant, Alcon has worked on campus as a student ambassador and as a CASA Center student manager. “I love this campus and have poured my heart out to ASU through my studies and also throughout my involvement in these various groups and organizations.”
Marisol Cristobal-Lucas, majoring in sociology: A San Luis Valley native, Cristobal-Lucas will graduate Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA), the highest academic honor. “It fills me with great pleasure to make my parents proud since they have no formal education,” she says. She completed her degree in 3 ½ years and with no student loan debt. Keeping her grade point average high, Cristobal-Lucas earned several academic scholarships and worked on campus and off campus. She completed an internship with Department of Human Services with Child and Adult Protection. She currently works for the Alamosa County Department of Human Services. “I love the San Luis Valley. I want to stay in my hometown to serve and help my community.”
Cheyenne Cleveland, majoring in elementary education: Being a first-generation college student “means the world” to Cleveland. She finishes her student teaching in Colorado Springs and plans to continue working in a Colorado Springs school district. “I feel like I now have accomplished so much and have made my family so proud by setting a new standard for all to come in the future.” Recruited as a basketball student athlete, the “family-like” atmosphere made Adams State home. “My professors and advisor always made sure they were available when I had questions or gave out of classroom help when I needed it.”
Madison “Maddy” Merschel, majoring in business administration: A student athlete, Merschel will graduate Summa Cum Laude (4.0 GPA), the highest academic honor. She completed her business administration degree in 3 ½ years and with no student loan debt thanks to several academic scholarships and an athletic scholarship. “The community and area reminded me a lot of home,” she said, comparing Alamosa to her hometown of Spring Creek, Nev. “I was also able to form personal relationships with my professors.” Merschel worked on campus and off campus and appreciates her internship with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “I grew into the person I want to be. I continued to battle adversity in its many shapes in order to accomplish my goals and be successful.”
Maesyn Ries, major in exercise science: A second-generation grad, Ries chose Adams State for the tight-knit community. “Because of my connections and relationships with my professors, I was able to enter the graduate program at the start of this semester in August, before I received my B.S.” She will graduate nearly debt free thanks to academic scholarships and working on and off campus. For her practicum hours she observed Jenna Hutches at the San Luis Valley Health Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center. “My growth from a college freshman to a graduating senior really boils down to how I am able to handle real-life situations in a professional setting.”
