Grads boomerang home
FALL 2012 COMMENCEMENT SCHEDULE
T
he fall 2012 semester is over, and for some, that means the conclusion of a college career. Commencement ceremonies begin Friday with the College of Nursing and end Sunday night with the College of Engineering. We’ve compiled a commencement schedule and a look at the keynote speakers for each commencement. Each celebration is in the College Park Center, and UTA asks graduates to arrive one hour before the ceremony.
Study shows 40 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds live with their parents BY DUSTIN L. DANGLI The Shorthorn editor-in-chief
COLLEGE OF NURSING 7:30 p.m. Friday The College of Nursing, unlike other schools and colleges, has its graduate students speak at commencement. Eric Shellhorn, Graduate Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner student, will be the inspirational speaker for the graduating students. Shellhorn said he will address how each of the people in the field are agents of health care reform — both the nurses providing care, and those in the audience who support the graduating nurses. He said he would also be discussing what health care reform looks like on a personal level, a community level and from a psychiatric/emotional health perspective. Shellhorn said, “I will close the ceremony offering a new slogan for the popular ‘It gets better’ campaign.”
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 10 a.m. Saturday The College of Business keynote speaker is “The Honorable Glen Whitley.” Whitley manages over the Tarrant County Commissioners Court. Whitley is a UTA alumnus with a degree in accounting. He also is a co-founder of Whitley Penn, an accounting firm in Fort Worth, Dallas and Houston. Whitley was elected and served as the Tarrant County Commissioner in 1996 and Tarrant County Judge in 2006.
The Shorthorn: File Photo
as an enthusiastic advocate for the university.
SCHOOL OF URBAN AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Noon Sunday School of Social Work, School of Urban and Public Affairs and University College welcome Mayor Betsy Price to the Fall 2012 Commencement. Price serves as the mayor of Fort Worth, and was elected in 2011. She was the owner of Price Cornelius Title Service before becoming the tax assessor for Tarrant County. Price earned a biology degree at UTA.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
2 p.m. Saturday UTA President James Spaniolo will be the keynote speaker for the College of Education and Health Professionals commencement. Spaniolo served as the dean of Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences before coming to UTA in 2004. Since Spaniolo became president, the university has undergone several enhancements including the creation of the College Park District, Maverick Activities Center and Engineering Research Building. This fall, a portion of Pecan St. was renamed Spaniolo Dr.
3:30 p.m. Sunday The College of Science and School of Architecture welcome back alumnus Lee Krystinik as the keynote speaker. Krystinik graduated from UTA in 1977 with a bachelor’s in geology, specializing in applied sedimentary and stratigraphic analysis to predict clastic reservoirs. In 2006, he also formed Fossil Creek Resources, an independent exploration company using technologies to develop the usage of upstream oil and gas properties.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS 6 p.m. Saturday The College of Liberal Arts salutes Joe Gumm as this semester’s keynote speaker. Gumm is an Emmy award-winning journalist currently working as the morning anchor for CBS in Tampa, Fla. He graduated from UTA in 2001 with a degree in broadcast communication with a specialization in radio-TV broadcast. Gumm also hosted the President’s Glass Reception at UTA that last three years. The College of Liberal Arts described Gumm
7 p.m. Sunday Fred Buckingham will speak at the College of Engineering commencement. Buckingham became CEO of Alternative Petroleum Technologies In June. He earned in undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at UT-Austin in 1975 but earned his master’s in mechanical engineering and doctoral degrees from UTA in 1980 and 1993, respectively.
— Compiled by Travis Merrell
When Ross Grier graduates, he’s leaving Maverick country and going back to the house that mom and dad built. The biology senior isn’t alone. About 22 percent of young adults, ages 25-34, are living with their parents in multi-generational households, according to a Pew Research Center study. The children who have moved back have been dubbed boomerang children. Although Grier is only 22, the same study showed that 40 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds are living with their parents. When Grier gets back to his parents’ house in Frisco, he’ll have to sleep in the guest bedroom. Since coming to UTA in 2008, his bedroom has become a princess paradise for his 7- and 8-year-old sisters. Shakeela Hunter, Student Money Management Center director, said there’s nothing wrong with moving back home. “If students have the opportunity to move home to save money, it’s a great opportunity,” she said. She said staying home allows you to save money and build toward your dream job. She suggests students take a job that helps pay the bills and is in their desired field. She said when she graduate with a finance degree in 2004, she had to work as a bank teller before she could move up. “You need experience in addition to a degree,” Hunter said. “No one gets you prepared that you could graduate without your dream job.” She said there are three steps recent graduates can follow to make sure a move back home doesn’t become a stay at home. The first step is to have a goal before moving back home. People should know what they want to accomplish by moving back home. Grier said he’s already planned out his stay. “I’ve decided to move back in mostly to save money because I do plan on moving out within six months maximum,” he said. The next step is to create a plan to achieve the goals that
FALL 2012 | G R A D U AT I O N 3 | www.theshorthorn.com/graduation
Moving home, Grad? Shakeela Hunter, Student Money Management Center director, shares a three-step plan to make sure graduates have an effective experience moving back home. Step 1: Go in with a goal in mind Hunter said to know what you want to accomplish after moving back home. Step 2: Set up your goals Graduates should come up with a plan to achieve the end goal. This includes planning how much to save and how to reach that dream job. Step 3: Meet with family The final step includes working with family to negotiate a plan. This ensures that everyone is on the same page in terms of financial commitment and more. It also allows the graduate to make a commitment to others about moving out.
were created. This includes how soon to find a job, how much to save monthly, how much to pay for rent and more. Grier has a job based out of the DFW International Airport, but he’s looking for more to help save. “I’m definitely looking for another one, more lucrative and more in my interest,” he said. “But if a job offers more money, I’ll take that.” The final step is to meet with family and decide how the recently returned family member can contribute financially. “You want to find your role in the family,” Hunter said. “Then you won’t get in a slump.” She said the best way to approach negotiating rent with parents is to make sense of the numbers. “If I save this much, I can get out in six months, or a year if I have to pay rent,” she said. “Negotiate, so they know up front.” Grier said he’s already talked with his parents and they’ve agreed on a plan. “My parents aren’t going to ask me to pay rent because they want me to save, as well,” he said. @DUSSSSSTIN dustin.dangli@mavs.uta.edu