Hesston College will celebrate the class of 2012 with the 102nd commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 6, in Yost Center.
Joe Manickam, a 1987 Hesston College graduate, will present the commencement address “Back to Basics,” based on the college’s 2011-12 theme verse from Micah 6:8.
Manickam of Lancaster, Pa., serves as director for Asia programs for Mennonite Central Committee. He served as associate director of Admissions at Hesston College from 1991 to 1996 and as associate director at the Center for Anabaptist Leadership in Pasadena, Calif., from 1996 to 2005.
Student speakers for the ceremony are Hannah Bachman of Tiskilwa, Ill., and Zach Baumgartner of Hesston, Kan.
The class of 2012 will be recognized for its accomplishments during Larkfest at 7:30 p.m. May 5 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus. A reception will follow in the Community Center.
Academic departments will recognize graduates in ceremonies May 5. Disaster Management students will be recognized at 9 a.m. in Kropf Center, room 150.
A pinning ceremony for nursing students will be at 10 a.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church and Community Center. Kristina (McMillen) Ibitayo, Ph.D., RN, and a 1985 Hesston alumna will be the featured speaker. She is the clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and editorial assistant for “Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing.”
Pastoral Ministries commissioning will be at 1 p.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. Reverend Geniese Stanford, lead pastor at Hesston United Methodist Church, will be the featured speaker.
Aviation and Air Traffic Control students will be recognized during a 2:30 p.m. reception in the Bontrager Student Center.
Other weekend events include a Band Concert at 8 p.m. May 4 in the Bontrager Student Center and sophomore recitals by Michael Darby (Iowa City) and Melody Marshall (Grottoes, Va.) at 9 p.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. Libby Waltner (Turkey Ridge, S.D.) will perform her sophomore recital at 1 p.m. May 5 in the Northlawn Studio Theater. The European Chorale will perform a bon voyage concert entitled “Meditations and Illuminations” at 4 p.m. May 5 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. The concert is a precursor for the choir’s tour of the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain May 8 to 29.
For a full weekend schedule or more information, visit the Hesston College website at www.hesston.edu/commencement or call Alumni and Church Relations locally at 620-327-8109 or toll-free at 866-437-7866.