Las Vegas

October 27-28

Commencement Weekend in Las Vegas

FAQs

Commencement Ceremony
(All Graduates)
Friday, October 27

Thomas & Mack Center
4505 S Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89154

Check-in Time: 3 pm
Ceremony Time: 4 pm

Alumni Celebration
Friday, October 27

Virgin Hotel Las Vegas
4455 Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89169

6:00-9:00 pm

Commencement Ceremony

College of Business & College of IT Convocation

Leavitt School of Health & School of Education Convocation

Las Vegas Commencement Deadlines:

RSVP
Deadline: CLOSED
Graduate Speaker Application
Deadline: CLOSED
Anthem Singer Audition
Deadline: CLOSED
Cap & Gown Ordering
Deadline: CLOSED
Philanthropy Cord
Spirit Necklace

Las Vegas Commencement Details:

Commencement Program

Keynote Speaker

Erik Wahl
Artist and Author

Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized artist, TED speaker, and No. 1 bestselling author. His breakthrough experience as an artist and entrepreneur has translated into making him into one of the most sought-after speakers on the circuit today.

On stage, Erik’s keynote experience creates a dynamic multidimensional metaphor for how to systematically embrace innovation and risk. His message: disruption is the new normal and businesses must embrace creativity in a wholesale fashion, or risk being left behind. Erik’s presentation inspires organizations to be increasingly agile and outlines how to use disruption as a competitive advantage. Some companies will be disrupted others will choose to be the disruptor. Choose wisely.

His new book, The Spark and the Grind, activates the essential components of translating ideas into action. His breakthrough thinking has earned praise from the likes of top influencers in both art and business. Erik’s previous book, a bestseller called Unthink was hailed by Forbes Magazine as The blueprint to actionable creativity, and by Fast Company Magazine as “provocative with a purpose.”

The Warhol of Wall Street, the Renoir of ROI, The Picasso of Productivity, the Jobs of … Well, Jobs.

Erik discovered an alarming truth early in his career as a partner in a corporate firm: organizations that encouraged the mental discipline of creativity did better than those that did not put innovation as a priority mission. So he set out to challenge companies to change their way of thinking.

In the meantime, inspired by street art, he became an acclaimed graffiti artist—though he has since stopped selling his works for personal gain, and instead uses his art to raise money for charities. His keynote is where his passion for business growth and art converge into a fascinating performance.

Erik has worked with top organizations including AT&T, Disney, London School of Business, Microsoft, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Ernst & Young, and XPrize.

To learn more about Erik, visit theartofvision.com

Commencement Ceremony Graduate Speaker

Leah Chansa

Leah Chansa was born and raised in the Sacramento area of California. She is a wife and a mother of three children. She has thoroughly enjoyed being a NICU nurse for the past 12 years. To say Leah keeps busy is an understatement. She currently teaches a stable course to NICU nurses, leads out in critical event team training and annual skills fairs, and takes on extra projects to improve departmental workflow.

She completed her Master’s in Nursing – Leadership and Management at WGU seeking to improve her leadership skills. She believes that a nursing leader is a nurse to the nurse and loves the idea of supporting and advocating for nurses. In her free time, she loves traveling, doing crafts, and spending time with friends and family, and has recently caught the fitness bug and stays active at her local gym.

College of I.T. & College of Business Graduate Speakers

Brady McNulty

Lifelong learner and tinkerer, Brady McNulty, previously served in the Navy’s nuclear power program as a reactor operator. Following his time in the military, he graduated with his Doctor of Pharmacy from Texas A&M University in 2014. Following COVID, Brady realized pharmacy was no longer the same and he knew it was time for a change again.

Having always had a passion for technology, Brady readily enrolled in WGU’s B.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance program and earned his master’s in the same discipline not long after. Thanks to the degrees and included certifications, he now works as a threat analyst for a large national organization.

Brady has had several mentors on this journey and because of their impact in his life, he strives to mentor others as well. He is a Member of the Order of St John and the National Staff of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. In his free time, Brady can be found enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest with his family and his dog.

Heather Anderson

Heather Anderson is passionate about human resources, law, and creativity. She is a life-long learner who thrives at the intersection of compliance and imagination. After an 11-year hiatus from school, Heather decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree and enrolled at WGU.

Born and raised in Utah as the oldest of six, she’s grown up with a strong sense of community. Her skill for networking helped propel her into her career path as an HR Professional. She sits on the Utah Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) State Board of Directors as Social Media

Director, helping to promote and elevate HR throughout Utah.

An advocate for learning, and passionate about helping others, Heather enjoys mentoring others and sharing her knowledge through public speaking events in Utah. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Heather is now also pursuing her Juris Masters in Employment Law and HR Risk Management and then plans to pursue her Juris Doctorate. When she’s not spending time on her education or sharing her passion for the Human Resources world, you can find Heather spending time with her husband and kids, playing pool, or helping create monsters for Fear Factory Haunted House in Salt Lake City as part of the make-up team.

Leavitt School of Health & School of Education Graduate Speakers

Sabrina Robison

Sabrina Robison is no stranger to the limelight. She got her start in a Huggies Diaper commercial, and although this never evolved into a regular model or acting career, it served as a platform for the rest of Sabrina’s journey.

Sabrina was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and she

enjoys travelling – she's been to 42 of the 50 states in the U.S. and she recently travelled to Ecuador, where her father is from, to introduce her son to family still living there.

Sabrina and her husband, Kyle, have been married for 11 years, and early in their marriage they moved to Missouri to build their life there. After completing nursing school in Missouri, Sabrina would have no idea that her nursing journey would lead her back home with an opportunity to work with her mother at Lovelace Women’s Hospital.

In July 2023, Sabrina completed her master’s in nursing education at WGU, which has opened doors for her to teach other nursing students at Carrington College. On top of that, she continues to work full time in the NICU for Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque.

When Sabrina isn’t working or being a mom to her adorable Mason, she enjoys going to drag queen bingo, dance parties, musicals, and reading.

Lisa Petersen

Lisa Petersen has always had a dream to impact others through education. Born in Utah, her family moved to New Jersey and then Maryland before returning to Utah for her senior year of high school. She earned her bachelor’s in elementary education and then entered the classroom immediately thereafter. She taught for 16 years where she even had the opportunity to teach all three of her children.

With a desire to have an even greater impact, Lisa pursued her

master’s in educational leadership from WGU and while on this path, was hired as an assistant principal at an elementary school where she is completing her second year in that role.

Lisa is a proud mother of three children and two dogs. She and her husband have been married for almost 19 years and love all things Disney, baseball, pictures, and anything outdoors.

National Anthem Singer

Daniel Glen Saculles

Brittany Thoms of Wilson, North Carolina was born into a musically gifted family and has been singing since the age of two. She is the daughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. Benjamin A. Barnes Sr. and the youngest of seven children. From churches to stages to stadiums, Brittany has shared her gift with thousands. And at the beginning of 2022, she released her debut album entitled The Interlude in which she composed, arranged, and performed every song, all while earning her degree from WGU.

She is blessed to have a loving husband and children who have been an endless source of support and encouragement throughout her pursuit of education. Brittany recently began her career in education as an 8th Grade ELA teacher, where she is excited to mold the minds of her students thanks to all she’s learned.

National Anthem Singer

Daniel Glen Saculles

Daniel Glen Saculles was born and raised in Washington, D.C. Daniel realized his love of music when he was singing in the church youth choir. After graduating from high school, Daniel had no desire to pursue a college degree and jumped from job to job. After two years of feeling unfulfilled, Daniel decided to go back to school.

Although music was his passion, Daniel Wanted to follow a more certain path. Daniel moved to the Philippines at the age of 19 to pursue a nursing degree and continued singing with his college band as a hobby. After graduating in 1996 with his B.S. in Nursing, Daniel returned to the U.S. and passed the nursing boards in Maryland and vowed never again to return to school.

As a registered nurse, Daniel kept bouncing around to different positions and felt he was going around in circles again. In 2007, Daniel became a travel nurse and made his way to Los Angeles, where he landed a permanent position at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

With his desire for career advancement, Daniel turned his back on his 25 year old vow to never return to school and earned his MBA in Healthcare Management from WGU.

Daniel and his wife are the parents of two daughters and currently reside in Los Angeles. When he’s not in the operating room, you can find Daniel on a trail run or enjoying his favorite past time: singing.