Chicago

September 22-23

Commencement Weekend in Chicago

FAQs

Master's Ceremony
10:30 am EST /9:30 am CST / 8:30 am MST / 7:30 am PST

Bachelor's Ceremony
2:30 pm EST / 1:30 pm CST / 12:30 pm MST / 11:30 am PST

Chicago Commencement Details:

Ceremony Program

Keynote Speaker

KimArie Yowell
Chief Diversity of Rocket Companies and Chief Learning Officer of Rocket Central

KimArie Yowell is Chief Diversity of Rocket Companies and Chief Learning Officer of Rocket Central – the centralized hub for the Rocket Companies FinTech platform.

In these roles, she is responsible for team member development programs along with the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies for the businesses that are part of Rocket Companies. This includes the learning and development initiatives, post-secondary education programs, career development, diversity and inclusion programming and organizational effectiveness.

KimArie has more than 25 years of experience in client service, sales, and corporate education. She has an intense passion for team member growth and helping organizations thrive. She also firmly believes that one’s ability to create a dynamic and high performing team rests on their ability to be inclusive.

Rocket was in the top 10 on Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2022. The company has also ranked #1 on Essence magazine’s 10 Best Workplaces for African Americans and has been included on Fortune magazine’s list of Best Workplaces for Diversity since the list’s inception in 2015.

KimArie has received several awards and accolades, including being named one of Michigan Chronicle’s Women of Excellence (2020), Savoy Magazine’s “Most Influential Women in Corporate America” (2019) and “40 Under 40” by the Michigan Chronicle for her exceptional achievements and community service (2018). In addition to her roles at Rocket Companies, she serves on Siena Heights University’s Board of Trustees.

KimArie earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wayne State University. She also earned a Master

of Arts in Adult Education and Training, a Master of Business Administration, Master of Management and Administrative Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas. Most recently, she completed her Doctorate in Education at the University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor's Ceremony Student Speakers

Michael Cooper

Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Michael Cooper served in the United States Army from 1988 through 1991 as a Motor Transport Operator, where he developed a passion for transportation.

Following his military service, he began a career as a truck driver and has held various positions including his current role as Field Supervisor for Intracity Public Transit in Hot Springs, Arkansas. With his bachelor’s in business management from WGU, Michael looks forward to making a

bigger impact in the public transit industry.

Michael and his wife, Marolyn, have been married for 30 years and are the proud parents of six children and five grandchildren. He is a member of Living Waters Church of God In Christ where he serves as a Youth Sunday School teacher and as a Deacon. He enjoys encouraging others, especially the youth, most notably as a football coach. During football season, you can catch Michael rooting for his favorite teams – the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Chicago Bears.

Jessica Kiesling

Midwestern native, Jessica Kiesling, earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from WGU and is currently pursuing her master’s in elementary education (mathematics) also at WGU. She is a Special Education in the Rochelle Elementary School District. Prior to her time in pursuing degrees in education, she earned a degree in psychology and she’s excited to leverage her understanding of behavior and

education in order to be an advocate for students in both general and special education.

She married her high school sweetheart, and they are the proud parents of three children. When she’s not in the classroom, Jessica enjoys getting pedicures with her daughters, sharing funny memes with her son, and going grocery shopping with her husband on date nights.

“Mrs. K,” is easily spotted in a crowd at school as the one with different hair colors and wide variety of fun and crazy earrings.

Master's Ceremony Student Speakers

Leonard Kalimasi

Leonard Kalimasi is a Data Engineer based in Salt Lake City, with a track record of more than 8 years in roles encompassing data analysis, data quality, business intelligence, and machine learning.

He holds a bachelor’s in information systems and recently completed his master’s degree in data analytics from WGU.

Recognized for his commitment that

extends beyond technical proficiency, Leonard is driven by a passion for assisting others in realizing their potential across professional and social dimensions. This fervor, combined with a strong grasp of data-related disciplines, underscores his dedication to crafting solutions that are both technically adept and human-centered. With an unyielding enthusiasm for continuous growth, Leonard strives to remain at the forefront of the dynamic data sciences field, channeling expertise to drive innovation and create impactful outcomes.

Sahar Hassan

WGU MBA graduate Sahar Hassan has significant leadership experience and is known for driving change that increases stakeholder value. She has more than 13 years of experience transforming the productivity of public, private, and nonprofit organizations and has served in various senior roles at Aon PLC, Equilar, and Barnett Capital.

Sahar is currently a Senior ESG Consultant at Aon PLC where she provides strategic direction, financial planning, and operations management to senior level executives and board members located around the globe and within the own company – Chicago, New York, Washington DC, London, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Reporting to and working closely with the Firm’s Senior Partners, she is responsible for developing and executing Aon’s Human Capital Services team’s strategy and creating a best-in-class operational infrastructure.

Sahar holds a bachelor's degree in English and a master’s degree in political science from DePaul University. She lives in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago with her husband and her four-month-old daughter. In her spare time, Sahar enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading books by her favorite author Adam Grant.

National Anthem Singers

Marly Alvarez

Anthem singer Marly Alvarez, from Wichita Falls, Texas, is earning her BSN degree from WGU and has been in the nursing field since 2020.

Starting in the profession near the beginning of the pandemic was quite a shock for Marly, but she was committed to helping others. Since then, she’s settled into the hospice space, which is where her heart has been prior to even beginning nursing

school, and currently serves as the Lead Admissions RN for Hospice of Wichita Falls.

She has been married to her high school sweetheart for 17 years and they are the proud parents of three sons.

Nathalie Alcime

Nathalie Alcime is a native New Yorker, raised in Spring Valley, NY and of Haitian descent.

She is a classical trained musician and has performed all over the world including Haiti, Japan, Italy, and the Dominican Republic.

Nathalie, who is earning her master’s degree in elementary education from WGU, is passionate about teaching and volunteer work as a worship leader. She previously earned a

bachelor’s degree at Nyack College and mastery credits at Lee University, both in Vocal Performance. She is a versatile artist who has the ability to engage her audience to experience music in a deeper way. And she uses her passion in her teaching, helping her tailor instruction to meet the learning needs of her students. As an educator, she has found ways to help students realize their own potential and merge academic content with real life experiences.

Her musical journey and diverse background has afforded her opportunities to grow in the areas of compassion, empathy, and awareness. She is a devout Christian and lives in a way that exemplifies her faith and the values to extend love to others. Her vision statement is this: “I will use my voice to empower, engage, and inspire diverse audiences”.