2,300 area graduates to receive college degrees

Both Wright State and UD have commencements set for Saturday.

Nearly 2,300 students will graduate from Wright State University and the University of Dayton this Saturday during commencement ceremonies at the schools.

A total 1,735 students — ranging in age of 20 to 67 — will receive their degrees or certificates during the fall commencement at the Wright State Nutter Center.

Grace Curell will be among those crossing the stage to collect her MBA at age 20. The Wright State graduate began taking college classes her junior year of high school through Sinclair, earned a GED and then enrolled at Wright State.

“I’ve had to grow up faster, but I’m glad for that,” she told the university.

Wright State will award 1,052 bachelor’s degrees, 570 master’s degrees and 113 other degrees and certificates during the ceremony.

The University of Dayton will award diplomas for 266 undergraduates, 277 graduate students and 10 who earned Ph.D.s at their ceremony Saturday at the University of Dayton Arena.

Graduates from Urbana University and Clark State Community College also will have their commencements.

Nearly 100 students will take part in Urbana’s commencement ceremony Saturday at the Warren G. Grimes Center gymnasium.

Chancellor Emeritus of the Ohio Board of Regents, Roderick G. W. Chu, will be the keynote speaker and will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters. Thirteen graduates and eighty-four undergraduates will receive diplomas.

Clark State will host a reception for its 124 graduates and their families on Dec. 18.

The Dayton area has a goal to increase the number of residents with college credentials that will connect them with jobs. By 2025 the city of Dayton hopes 60 percent of its working-age adults have a college credential, a sizable boost from the current 36 percent.

The city was among 20 nationwide to be selected by the Lumina Foundation to receive up to $200,000 to support that goal.

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