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UW Tacoma 2022 Commencement: celebrating classes of 2022, 2021 and 2020

The Class of 2022

June 10, 2022

In 2022 we are celebrating thousands of UW Tacoma grads from 2020, 2021 and 2022.

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You can watch the livestream of the 2022 Commencement Ceremonies on June 13 (or watch the recordings afterwards) here.

(Image above: On all three campuses, ceremonial occasions like Commencement begin with the entrance of the University Mace. The mace was presented to the University on the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 1961 by the UW Alumni Association. Read more about the mace here.)

You can hear the sentiment echoed by faculty, staff and students throughout the UW Tacoma campus: we finally get to return to an in-person Commencement.

Colleges and universities across the country made amazing strides in virtual celebrations over the last two years, but nothing can replace the joy of physically walking across the stage, shaking the hand of a university leader, and soaking up the cheers and applause of loved ones and family members.

But constant throughout all the pandemic adjustments has been this: people getting UW Tacoma degrees are doing amazing things.

Click on the tiles immediately below to read about a selection of UW Tacoma graduates from 2020 and 2021.

And scroll down to read about a few amazing people from the Class of 2022.

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Chanelle Allen, '22, B.S. Information Science

CHANELLE ALLEN, '22

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Chanelle Allen, '22, B.S. Information Science

CHANELLE ALLEN, '22

B.S. Information Technology

Chanelle Allen has faced challenges as a Black woman in STEM, but she is prepared to handle them. By offering her support to others, she becomes more deeply immersed in her chosen field. She know that she is getting in by giving back.

Read Chanelle's Story
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Leticia Baretto, '22, B.A. Urban Studies

LETICIA BARETTO, '22

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Leticia Baretto, '22, B.A. Urban Studies

LETICIA BARETTO, '22

B.A. Urban Studies

Leticia Barreto overcame both her anxiety about public speaking and a pandemic-influenced isolation, and dove into campus life. She worked as a Pack Advisor and in the Teaching & Learning Center, and she served as the Urban Studies senator in student government.

Read Leticia's Story
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Jalen Bounthong, '22, B.A. Business Administration

JALEN BOUNTHONG, '22

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Jalen Bounthong, '22, B.A. Business Administration

JALEN BOUNTHONG, '22

B.A. Business Administration

Jalen Bounthong's degree sets a high bar for his siblings to follow. A first-generation college student of Cambodian and Laotian heritage, he transformed from a shy freshman to a confident senior and hopes to use his new-found leadership skills to achieve business success.

Read Jalen's Story
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Kendall Burch, '22, B.A. Spanish Language & Cultures

KENDALL BURCH, '22

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Kendall Burch, '22, B.A. Spanish Language & Cultures

KENDALL BURCH, '22

B.A. Spanish Language & Cultures

Kendall Burch had years of exposure to Spanish-speaking cultures and a turn of duty as a civil affairs medic in the U.S. Army. Now he dreams of becoming a medical doctor.

Read Kendall's Story
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Selena Caldera, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

SELENA CALDERA, '22

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Selena Caldera, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

SELENA CALDERA, '22

B.A. Law & Policy

Selena Caldera is a military veteran, a political activist and labor organizer. For her, a law and policy degree and, soon, law school are a natural progression toward becoming a lawyer and fighting the injustices that she sees in the world.

Read Selena's Story
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Bengisu Cicek, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

BENGISU CICEK, '22

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Bengisu Cicek, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

BENGISU CICEK, '22

B.A. Law & Policy

Bengisu Cicek, the 2022 UW Tacoma Chancellor's Medalist, dealt with a monstrous commute from Bellevue to UW Tacoma, and, along with everyone else, a pandemic. They didn't curb her desire to take part in campus life, as a writer for The Ledger, an officer with ASUWT and president of the Muslim Student Association.

Read Bengisu's Story
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Eric Colon, '22, B.A. Ethnic, Gender & Labor Studies

ERIC COLON, '22

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Eric Colon, '22, B.A. Ethnic, Gender & Labor Studies

ERIC COLON, '22

B.A. Ethnic, Gender & Labor Studies

Eric Colon expected to be a vehicle mechanic the rest of his life after his service in the U.S. Army, but an injury put a stop to that plan. He found a new way to get ahead and give back at UW Tacoma.

Read Eric's Story
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Maryam Al Darraji, '22, B.S. Biomedical Sciences

MARYAM AL DARRAJI, '22

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Maryam Al Darraji, '22, B.S. Biomedical Sciences

MARYAM AL DARRAJI, '22

B.S. Biomedical Sciences

Maryam Al Darraji has a dream to become a surgeon, which has taken her from Iraq to Jordan to Kent to UW Tacoma. Her persistence has rubbed off on her mother, who will soon get her own college degree in early childhood education.

Read Maryam's Story
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Heather Finch, '22, B.S. Computer Science & Systems

HEATHER FINCH, '22

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Heather Finch, '22, B.S. Computer Science & Systems

HEATHER FINCH, '22

B.S. Computer Science & Systems

Heather Finch turned her concern for animal welfare into a computer science degree. She hopes some day to play a role in creating technologies that can be used to replace live animal testing in scientific research.

Read Heather's Story
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Tilly Gadbaw, '22, B.A. Business Administration

TILLY GADBAW, '22

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Tilly Gadbaw, '22, B.A. Business Administration

TILLY GADBAW, '22

B.A. Business Administration

Tilly Gadbaw was a military brat, moving more than six times in one particular year. COVIID made things even more complicated. Now she hopes to use her management degree to help others do their best.

Read Tilly's Story
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Andre Henderson, '22, B.A. Social Welfare

ANDRE HENDERSON, '22

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Andre Henderson, '22, B.A. Social Welfare

ANDRE HENDERSON, '22

B.A. Social Welfare

Andre Henderson's life was teetering on the brink. But then the Navy veteran recalled his mother’s words urging higher education, and he took a path that turned his life around. Now the Governor's Student Civic Leadership Award-winner plans to go on to get a gradate degree in social work.

Read Andre's Story
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Chanise Jackson, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

CHANISE JACKSON, '22

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Chanise Jackson, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

CHANISE JACKSON, '22

B.A. Law & Policy

Chanise Jackson has achieved her goal of a college degree four years after a medical diagnosis threatened to end her college career before it even began. Along the way, she has been named a Truman Scholar, a Bamford Fellow, and served as a senator in UW Tacoma student government.

Read Chanise's Story
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Andre Jimenez, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

ANDRE JIMENEZ, '22

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Andre Jimenez, '22, B.A. Law & Policy

ANDRE JIMENEZ, '22

B.A. Law & Policy

Andre Jimenez, the outgoing ASUWT President, is all about the transformative impact of education. Once he started college, both his brother and his wife followed suit. Once he earns his master's degree from Princeton in public affairs, he may go on to law school, or he may take the dive into politics.

Read Andre's Story
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Kashira Jenkins, '22, B.A. Social Welfare

KASHIRA JENKINS, '22

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Kashira Jenkins, '22, B.A. Social Welfare

KASHIRA JENKINS, '22

B.A. Social Welfare

Kashira Jenkins is willing to do the work to make a difference in social welfare policy. She has seen first-hand how lack of representation in the profession leads to biased decisions that affect families for generations.

Read Kashira's Story
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Kevin Liu, '22, B.A. Politics, Philosophy & Economics

KEVIN YUAN-JIE LIU, '22

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Kevin Liu, '22, B.A. Politics, Philosophy & Economics

KEVIN YUAN-JIE LIU, '22

B.A. Politics, Philosophy & Economics

Kevin Yuan-Jie Liu thought he wanted to be a diplomat, but the more he learned the more he thought law school would be a better fit for his gaming interests and personal style. In the fall he will start on a full-tuition scholarship at University of Oregon School of Law.

Read Kevin's Story
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Melissa Nunez, '22, B.S. Nursing

MELISSA NUNEZ, '22

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Melissa Nunez, '22, B.S. Nursing

MELISSA NUNEZ, '22

B.S. Nursing

Melissa Nunez is getting established in her career as a nurse, but the journey has been one with many detours. As a first-generation college student, she found many who are willing to help, but knowing what and who to ask could be difficult.

Read Melissa's Story
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Kristina Pogosian, '22, B.A. Politics, Philosophy & Economics

KRISTINA POGOSIAN, '22

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Kristina Pogosian, '22, B.A. Politics, Philosophy & Economics

KRISTINA POGOSIAN, '22

B.A. Politics, Philosophy & Economics

Kristina Pogosian is soaring high. An Armenian American, she served as UW Student Regent in 2020-21. Before that, she was President of the TCC student government. She is heading to Armenia to work as a teacher for at least the next year.

Read Kristina's Story
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Dustin Ray, '22, B.S. Computer Science & Systems

DUSTIN RAY, '22

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Dustin Ray, '22, B.S. Computer Science & Systems

DUSTIN RAY, '22

B.S. Computer Science & Systems

Dustin Ray is one of UW Tacoma's Commencement student speakers in 2022. In his talk, he will share how he gained his love and skill at math at UW Tacoma, and how he also gained a desire to harness the power of artificial intelligence for social good.

Read Dustin's Story
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Spencer Tyson, '22, B.A. Healthcare Leadership

SPENCER TYSON, '22

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Spencer Tyson, '22, B.A. Healthcare Leadership

SPENCER TYSON, '22

B.A. Healthcare Leadership

Spencer Tyson went through a sea-change at UW Tacoma, shedding his “slacker” approach to high school, and diving deep into the need for systemic change in public health.

Read Spencer's Story
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Sarah Sutton (Wilkinson), '20, Master of Social Work

SARAH SUTTON (WILKINSON), '20

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Sarah Sutton (Wilkinson), '20, Master of Social Work

SARAH SUTTON (WILKINSON), '20

Master of Social Work

Sarah Sutton (Wilkinson) got her degree in 2020, but Commencement that year was virtual-only. This year, she is walking across the stage, along with her husband, Josh Sutton, '21, and her niece, Talilia Gadbaw, '22.

Read Sarah's Story
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