Undergraduate Commencement slated

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – April 29, 2015) California Lutheran University will hold its 2015 Undergraduate Commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16.

About 720 students are eligible to participate in the ceremony in William Rolland Stadium.

Lisandra Castro of Moorpark will speak on behalf of the about 80 Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals students. She began cognitive therapy with Cal Lutheran professor emerita Carol Genrich when she was a high school sophomore suffering from prolonged amnesia caused by viral encephalitis. Genrich not only helped her restore her memory and re-learn almost everything, but also encouraged her to earn a degree. Castro enrolled at Moorpark College in 1994 and started a business to help children with cognitive defects, but then turned her attention to parenting her three children and seven foster children. Now, two decades after starting college, the aspiring special education teacher is receiving a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies.

Wayne Swinson, a biology major from Valencia, will speak on behalf of his fellow traditional undergraduate students. He mentors teens through the Upward Bound program and tutors students from elementary school to high school. Known for constantly engaging people on campus in conversation, Swinson has been involved as a peer adviser, Black Student Union officer, student government senator, library assistant and Community Service Center intern. He plans to study medicine and public health in graduate school.

Karen Bornemann Spies of Denver will receive the 2015 Service to Alma Mater award. She served on the Board of Regents for 12 years, including four as chair when she led a presidential search and helped develop the strategic plan. The educator and author graduated summa cum laude in 1970 with a degree in German and a minor in elementary education. After visiting campus for a 30th reunion with her husband, a fellow alumnus, she became more involved in the university. The couple contributed to the construction of the Spies-Bornemann Center for Education and Technology and the Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the city of Thousand Oaks, Cal Lutheran alumnus and City Councilman Andrew P. Fox will give the keynote address. The 20-year-member of the council earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal Lutheran in 1998. He is an assistant fire chief for the Los Angeles Fire Department, an instructor at the National Fire Academy and a professional mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court. The Anti-Defamation League gave him a Distinguished Public Service Award in 2001 and the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks presented him with the John Conlan Award for his government and charitable work in 2009.

Tickets are required for admission. For more information, call the Office of Academic Affairs at 805-493-3364.