Tabor College President Jules Glanzer conferred 100 bachelor?s degrees and two associate degrees on students from the Hillsboro campus at the college?s 100th commencement Saturday in Joel H. Wiens Stadium.
Also conferred were 17 bachelor of science degrees and 29 bachelor of science in nursing degrees to students from the School of Adult and Graduate Studies in Wichita.
In addition, for the first year in the college?s history, master of business administration degrees were conferred to eight students from the Wichita campus.
?The fact that this year there are exactly 100 bachelor?s degree graduates on the Hillsboro campus is just a little serendipity,? said commencement speaker Lyndon Vix, a Wichita attorney who also serves as chairman of the Tabor College Board of Directors.
The stadium bleachers were packed for the college?s first outdoor commencement. All previous exercises were in the gymnasium. Although the sun was shining brightly, blustering winds forced the graduates to hold onto their hats as they received their diplomas.
During the program, Professor Fran Jabara Leadership Awards were presented to seniors Andrew Wiens, Topeka, and Heidi Glanzer, Abilene. Both received cash awards and plaques in honor of the leadership skills they demonstrated during their time at Tabor College, as well as for their future leadership potential.
After the presentation of the awards, Aaron Whitelaw, from Milwaukee,Wis., gave an address on behalf of the Hillsboro campus students.
A second address, given on behalf of the students from the School of Adult and Graduate Studies, was presented by Benjamin Marquez, a student from Wichita in the bachelor?s of science program.
In his speech, ?Everything You Need to Know About Life in 15 Minutes or Less,? Vix shared tips on life he learned ?just by living it.?
The first thing he told the graduates is that they don?t know anything.
?I?m not talking about knowledge, I?m talking about knowing,? Vix said. ?Knowledge is simply accumulating facts; knowing is making that knowledge work for you.?
He warned the graduates that as they start the rest of their lives, they?re going to be the equivalents of freshmen all over again. He said although the students don?t know anything, they know enough.
?Now, I?m talking about knowledge,? Vix said. ?Thanks to the professors of Tabor College, you have the knowledge you need and for that reason, you should take your next step with confidence.?
He also said Tabor had prepared the graduates in another way. Being at Tabor meant students had encountered Jesus in some way. Vix said those encounters will have an impact on the students? lives, even if they don?t realize it now.
Other advice offered by Vix included buying insurance, making use of experts, developing perspectives, singing, appreciating the past, being humble, being loyal, taking a moment before reacting, setting their contentment bar low, and that the worst and best parts of their lives are yet to come.
In closing, Vix told the graduates one more thing: to forget the title of his speech.
?Never believe that you have learned everything there is to know about life,? he said. ?Never stop questioning; never stop learning.?
