Capella University (www.capella.edu), an accredited, fully online university, will celebrate its 14th commencement ceremony in Atlanta on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008. The event is being held at Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center, and will feature a keynote address from Dr. Ana Margarita "Cha" Guzman, the first woman president of Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas. With more than 650 participants, this is one of Capella’s largest commencements to date, and will be divided into two ceremonies.
"We are extremely proud of our students," said Valerie Perkins, interim president of Capella University. “It's an extraordinary achievement to earn a degree under normal circumstances; many of our students have done so while working, caring for a family and contributing to the community. They have shown drive, determination and persistence in the pursuit of their educational dreams.”
The choir Harold Holloway & Company will sing congratulatory songs during each ceremony for the graduates, produced by Capella University PhD student Patricia Hill. Hill is pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Leadership in Educational Administration specialization.
Dr. Guzman has focused her career on education and is a leading voice for Hispanic Americans. She assisted the White House during President Clinton’s tenure in the education sector providing insight for the development of Hispanic education as a senior advisor to the Secretary of Education, and as chair for the Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. She’s also applied her education experience serving as president for the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, and is currently a board of trustee on The College Board.
Capella’s commencement ceremonies are held twice a year in locations across the United States. The next ceremony will be held in Minneapolis on Aug. 23, 2008.
About Capella University
Founded in 1993, Capella University is an accredited(a), fully online university that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services, psychology, public health, and public safety, and bachelor's degree programs in business, information technology, and public safety. Within those areas, Capella currently offers 104 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 15 certificate programs. The online university currently serves more than 22,000 students from all 50 states and 45 countries. It is committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company headquartered in Minneapolis.