UW-Green Bay celebrates commencement back in-person since 2019

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) -Something many students missed during the pandemic was celebrating graduation in-person.

On Saturday, in-person commencement was back for the first time in two years at UW-Green Bay.

More than 500 students graduated in a series of two separate ceremonies.

Students, faculty, families and friends were welcomed back to the Weidner Center.

“We have the distancing in place so, I think we’re just really thrilled, you know, there’s something special about walking across the stag, especially when students are the first in their families to graduate. So this is a big moment for students and their families to be able to see them,” said Kate Burns, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for UW-Green Bay.

UWGB student, Gage Beck, graduated after five semesters with no debt, and a job already lined up after graduation.

Beck wants students to know they can fast track their education experience and graduate debt free.

“I had the opportunity to take a lot of college credit in high school, so that gave me the opportunity to really focus on my majors requirements in college, so I was able to focus on my program requirements versus our general education requirements. And I received a lot of scholarships which also enabled me to pay less and I also worked a lot at the union as a student employee building manager,” said Beck.

“Students can take up to 18 credits a semester at the same cost as 12 to 15. So for students who are looking to accelerate and speed things up, they definitely can. And then they’re able to take courses essentially year round because we have the January and summer terms as well. So it’s a great way to get a fast start on your education,” said Burns.

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