Boise State University’s winter Commencement will honor graduates with a traditional ceremony, and pay tribute to one of Boise State’s strongest advocates — former Idaho State Board of Education trustee Milford Terrell.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, in Taco Bell Arena. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. No tickets are required. Please note: Winter Commencement is on a Saturday this year, not a Friday as it has been in the past.
About 950 graduates are expected to participate in the ceremony. There are 1,734 students eligible for 1,892 degrees and certificates, including four doctoral candidates. A total of 319 students are eligible for honors: 202 cum laude, 98 magna cum laude and 19 summa cum laude. Boise State confers more than 40 percent of all public university bachelor’s degrees in Idaho each year, and more than any other state university.
Terrell, a Boise State alumnus who served 11 years as a member of the State Board, will receive the university’s highest honor, the Silver Medallion. Terrell has been a vocal advocate for a number of Boise State initiatives, including the growth of the university’s doctoral programs.
“Milford has been there for Boise State every step of the way,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra upon Terrell’s retirement from the board in 2014.
The president and owner of DeBest Plumbing & Mechanical, Terrell was appointed to the board in January 2003. During his tenure, he served as board president and chaired a number of board committees, including the Planning, Policy and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Medical Education Study Committee, among other assignments.
Terrell was the first Boise State University alumnus to be appointed to the State Board of Education since the 1980s. In addition to serving there as a trustee, he has served as president of the Bronco Athletic Association, chairman of the Humanitarian Bowl, a member of the Bronco Athletic Association Coaches Club, a member of the Boise State University Foundation Board, a member of the Society of 1932, and Grand Marshal of the 2012 Alumni Association Homecoming Parade.
Terrell attended vocational-technical programs at Boise State for his plumbing apprenticeship. He has worked tirelessly to help young people succeed, and that has included the support of scholarships at Boise State. He continues his 30-year volunteer career in the Treasure Valley, serving as an Honorary Council Member of the Boys and Girls Club and board member and director of the Children’s Home Society of Idaho.
The winter Commencement student speaker is Dayne Konrad from Auburn, California, who is graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in applied mathematics. Konrad works as a research and development engineering intern for local company Rekluse Motor Sports and as a research assistant in the Advanced Energy Lab at Boise State. He also is involved with Boise State’s Motorsports Club.
The Pesky Awards for Inspirational Teaching also will be presented to four outstanding Idaho teachers: Sheryce Davis, Owyhee Elementary School, Boise School District; Rich Lapp, Timberline High School, Boise School District; Mary McGuire, Horizon Elementary School, Boise School District; and Brooke Roy, Rocky Mountain High School, West Ada School District. Alan and Wendy Pesky, founders of the Lee Pesky Learning Center, created the Pesky Award for Inspirational Teaching with Boise State University’s College of Education through a mutual vision to honor and recognize inspiring teachers. This is the only known award of its kind in the country.
The Commencement ceremony will include a processional and recessional, individual recognition of graduates and the hooding of doctoral candidates. Widescreens will be set up so family and friends can see the graduates up close as they are individually recognized. Boise State also will stream the ceremony on the Web at http://academics.boisestate.edu/commencement/commencement-webcast/for those who are unable to attend.
A reception for graduates and their families, hosted by the Boise State Alumni Association, will be held immediately following the ceremony in the Student Union Building. Each college will have a designated area where graduates can meet family after the ceremony to take photos and introduce them to faculty.
Parking for Commencement is free. Due to limited handicapped parking, those who cannot walk to the arena can be dropped off at entrances 1 and 2, where volunteers can assist them while their families find parking. For special accommodation information, visit commencement.boisestate.edu.