As the fall semester comes to a close for some students it is not just the end of another semester, but the end of their time as a student.  

“It just seems unreal that I am at this point in my life,” says Senior political science major and former WSG clerk Madison Myers. “It’s also very special for me and my family being a first generation student.”

Also this time around, students are picking up their kits from SAI to decorate their graduation caps. Included is a plethora of decorations ranging from purple ribbons, purple tulle, pearls, plastic gems, stick on letters, plush stickers, and colored construction paper.

“We have done them for a couple years,” said Elizabeth Garthwaite. “Each kit is a little different, but they are all pretty similar.”

This fall’s graduation commencement will take place in the Kachel fieldhouse Saturday December 17. Doors will open at 8 a.m. close briefly at 9:45 a.m. and will reopen at around 10:15 a.m.. Each student will be given seven tickets to distribute to friends and family. Friends and family will need a ticket in order to attend the graduation. Overflow who want to attend the graduation will go to Timmerman auditorium located in Hyland Hall.

The fall commencement has always been known to be a more intimate affair from the spring commencement ceremony. Spring commencement usually has a much bigger group of students that requires multiple different locations to have their own ceremonies according to the college the students are graduating from, while in the fall, everyone from all colleges convenes  at the Kachel Fieldhhouse. The duration of the ceremony is not as long as in the spring. In Fall the“Fall commencement is always fun because it is a smaller group graduating which makes it more intimate, and family members are able to cheer for their grad,” says Dr. Sue Wildermuth. “I have always enjoyed the fall commencement for its uniqueness in that regard, from spring commencement.”

This fall commencement will also have the unique pleasure and opportunity of having an out-of-state student speaker. Graduate student Jacquelyn Schimke is originally from central Wisconsin and a previous Whitewater undergraduate. This time around she is graduating with a Masters in Special Education with certifications as an autism specialist, transition specialist, and applied behavior analysis (ABA). She earned while living in North Carolina and she moved while serving in the military. Schimke chose to embark on a career in special education after her son’s diagnosis with Autism Spectrum Disorder. After working with professionals that helped her son overcome major obstacles, it inspired her to pursue the career herself.

“That’s why I got my graduate degree in Special Education so I could continue to advocate for son, and also do it for others,” said Schimke.

Due to health issues and prior obligations, Schimke’s speech will be pre recorded and played at fall commencement. Though she can’t make it to fall commencement, her heart is still with the UW-W family with strong admiration for her professors and fond memories of her time as a student. “One of the first things I am going to miss is my mentors,” said Schimke. “The few that have kept in pretty close have pushed me the hardest. Their content wasn’t just something I could skim through and that’s when I knew I was getting the best education for myself.”

This fall’s graduation commencement will take place in the Kachel fieldhouse Saturday December 17. Doors will open at 8 a.m. close briefly at 9:45 a.m. and will reopen at around 10:15 a.m.. Each student will be given seven tickets to distribute to friends and family. Friends and family will need a ticket in order to attend the graduation. Overflow who want to attend the graduation will go to Timmerman auditorium located in Hyland Hall.