Graduation scheduled for Saturday at ENMU

Eastern New Mexico University is scheduled to welcome graduates and their families to Greyhound Arena at 10 a.m. Saturday for the university’s 144th commencement ceremony.

The ceremony will be for 657 ENMU students, with 420 earning bachelor’s degrees, 137 earning master’s degrees, and 100 earning associate degrees. The students come from throughout New Mexico, 36 states, and seven nations worldwide, according to a news release from John Houser, ENMU assistant vice president of marketing and communications.

Gay Su Pinnell, ENMU alumna and professor emerita in the School of Teaching and Learning at Ohio State University, will give the commencement address.

Pinnell is respected nationwide for her educational work and research on classroom teaching, field-based research, and developing comprehensive literacy systems, according to Houser.

Since 2017, Pinnell has funded education grants, donated an event facility, and most recently endowed a new chair for the ENMU College of Education, making her the most significant contributor in ENMU history, Houser wrote in his release.

“As a thank you for her career success and generous philanthropic support to ENMU, the University Board of Regents voted … to rename the Education Building in her honor,” Houser wrote.

“Commencement is an occasion I look forward to every year. It represents the culmination of ENMU’s work with our students. It is also a time to celebrate with our graduates the earning of a college degree and something truly life-changing,” ENMU President James Johnston said.

Additional ceremony highlights include the Faculty Excellence Awards, presented to ENMU faculty, the Honor Guard from Cannon Air Force Base presenting the colors, and the National Anthem and Alma Mater will be sung by graduating ENMU students.

The commencement will be live-streamed off the main ENMU website at enmu.edu. For more information on the ENMU commencement ceremonies: enmu.edu/Commencement