On May 14, 432 students graduated from the College for Public Health and Social Justice – the biggest class to date and the second largest at Saint Louis University.

Hailing from 36 states and 12 countries, including China, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, and Spain, the Class of 2015 encompasses more than 20 different faith traditions, educational backgrounds from 111 universities, and an age range spanning five decades, from 20 to 60 years old.

This year’s undergraduate class showed a commitment to academic excellence: 43 percent graduated with honors.

Varied academic interests

SLU College for Public Health and Social Justice graduates earned 48 different combinations of degrees and certificates, including six different dual-degree programs.

Also notably, this year marks the College’s:

• First two MHA graduates with concentrations in health care operations
• First MSW graduates with clinical specializations
• First MS graduates with concentrations in infection control, and in management control and response

More than 7,700 people attended the University Commencement on May 16 at Chaifetz Arena. The University conferred nearly 2,600 degrees this academic term.

“Our commencement speaker, Mr. Garry Kasparov, said something that will stick with me for the rest of my life and career: We can either do our part to change the world with our presence, or we can watch the world change in our absence,” says Ms. Clarissa Jackson, who graduated with her bachelor’s in Social Work and Russian Studies and Language. Mr. Kasparov became the youngest person ever to earn the title of undisputed World Chess Champion when he was 22 years old. He is now a pro-democracy activist protesting Putin’s policies in his Russian homeland, and he serves as the chairman of the Human Rights Foundation based in New York.

“The core social justice values of Saint Louis University ensures every student the chance to become an agent of change. All you need is the courage to take that chance and know that, at SLU, you will never stand alone,” says Ms. Jackson.

“Faculty strive to not only teach us how to become successful helping professionals, but they also challenge us to overcome our own areas of discomfort. These outstanding faculty and staff within CPHSJ care deeply about the personal growth and journey for each of their students. Their involvement and support from the very beginning helped shape me into the social worker I am today,” she adds.