Drake held its 143rd commencement ceremony Saturday in The Knapp Center to celebrate the accomplishments of 325 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students who completed their degree requirements as of the conclusion of the fall semester.

More than 65 degree recipients were Des Moines public school teachers. They were the first group of teachers to earn Drake’s new Master of Science in Education degree in Culturally Responsive Leadership and Instruction, which is specially designed in partnership with Des Moines Public Schools to meet the needs of educators in urban school environments. The innovative program has helped the school district to attract highly-qualified new teachers, boosted teacher retention, and improved cultural competency among program participants.

The commencement included remarks by:

• Two-time Drake alumnus Jim Verlengia, director of leadership supports at Heartland Area Education Agency in Johnston. He holds an education specialist and doctoral degrees from the School of Education (SOE) and is a recipient of the SOE’s Outstanding Alumni Award. He has served the University in numerous roles, including as chair of the Parents Advisory Board, chair of the SOE’s National Advisory Board, and adjunct faculty member for the SOE.
• Abigail (Dierks) Grassmeyer, who graduated with a Master of Public Administration degree. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Drake in August 2010. A granddaughter of the late Paul F. Morrison, Grassmeyer is one of 15 members of the Morrison family to have received Drake degrees.

The fall 2017 graduates join a network of more than 75,000 Drake alumni around the world.