DePaul University's Class of 2018 includes Cassandra Murff, top, Esteban Perez, Alysa Bloodsworth, LaSheda Brooks, bottom, and Gracie Straznickas. DePaul will celebrate with five commencement ceremonies June 9-10, 2018. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion and Jamie Moncrief) CHICAGO —More than 6,700 DePaul University students are
graduating this year and many will gather this weekend at five commencement
ceremonies to reflect on their accomplishments. Among them will be a Marine
veteran with a heart for mental health, an esports enthusiast with a vision for
community service and a game designer who uses video games to boost empathy for
chronic disease.
Five of this year’s graduates spoke with DePaul Newsroom
about how their university experience has driven them from theory to action and
what they plan to do next. They will join more than 182,000 DePaul alumni worldwide
who have succeeded in a learning environment that values both academic
achievement and community responsibility.
The June 9-10 ceremonies will be held at Wintrust Arena in
Chicago’s South Loop. A sixth ceremony was held in May for the College of Law.
Details about the ceremonies, including information about speakers and a live
video stream of the events are online at http://bit.ly/DePaulGrad2018.
Here are some of the stories from the Class of 2018:
Alysa Bloodsworth | B.S. in Neuroscience with a dual
degree in Arabic Studies
College of Science and Health
After serving as a suicide prevention advocate in the Marines, Alysa
Bloodsworth studied neuroscience to seek answers for veterans with PTSD. Read
more>>
Cassandra Murff | B.A. in English
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Living in the aftermath of homelessness, Cassandra Murff tapped into the power of mentorship to propel herself through undergraduate studies. Read more>>
Esteban Perez | B.S.B. in Accountancy
Driehaus College of Business
Entrepreneurship and a passion for gaming inspired Esteban Perez to pitch a business with a purpose — community centers that use esports to reach Chicago’s underserved youth. Read more>>
Gracie Straznickas | B.S. in Computer Game Development
with a minor in Animation
College of Computing and Digital Media
Game design goes deeper than entertainment for Gracie Staznickas, who creates
video games that boost empathy, understanding and self-awareness of diseases
and mental illness. Read
more>>
LaSheda Brooks | J.D.
College of Law
In May, LaSheda Brooks graduated from DePaul University’s College of Law with
plans to serve in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps. Read
more>>
About DePaul University
DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest
private, nonprofit university in the Midwest, with nearly 23,000 students and some
300 academic and professional programs. It is nationally recognized for
incorporating service learning throughout its curriculum and preparing its
graduates for a global economy.
DePaul was founded in Chicago in 1898 by the Congregation of
the Mission (Vincentians), a Roman Catholic religious community dedicated to
following the ideals of St. Vincent de Paul, the 17th century priest for whom
the university is named. DePaul’s tradition of providing a quality education
from a broad range of backgrounds, with particular attention to
first-generation students, has resulted in one of the nation’s most diverse
student bodies. More information is at www.depaul.edu.
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Media Contact:
Kristin Claes Mathews
kristin.mathews@depaul.edu
312-362-7735