MTU and Finlandia celebrate graduation

HOUGHTON — It was graduation weekend in the Copper Country. For many students, it’s back to the books in the fall for graduate school. Others will be taking the skills they’ve learned and putting them to use in a new career. But for all of the Class of 2015, it’s the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Michigan Technological University held their graduation ceremony on Saturday with more than a thousand students receiving their degrees. Student Speaker Kyle Yarusso talks about his decision to come to Michigan Tech.

“I choose Michigan Tech one, probably for its reputation in environmental sciences and natural sciences, and that is definitely served me well and I look forward to what it’s going to do for me in the future,” said Kyle Yarusso Applied Ecology & Environmental Science Major.

With two bachelor degrees earned, Kimberly D’Augustino is off to France to begin her career, but she’ll never forget where it all started.

“Michigan Tech gave me so much hands–on experience. It gave me so much leadership experience,” D’Augustino said. “I wouldn’t be going to Boston Sci, I wouldn’t have this amazing job opportunity if it wasn’t for Michigan Tech and the family that I’ve created here.”

Finlandia University held a more intimate graduation ceremony on Sunday. Hancock native Jared Korpela changed his plans once he started attending his local university.

“I was planning on attending here for just the first couple of years and then transferring over to Michigan Tech,” Korpela said. “Then there’s a lot of good things about Finlandia that I realized once I got here that made me stay here for the full four years and graduate from here.”\

Commencement Speaker Lauri Anderson summarized his message to the students.

“One of my heroes is Henry David Thoreau,” said Lauri Anderson Finlandia Professor of English “I’m going to talk about his philosophy of non–conformity and urge them to make their own choices about life rather than having other people make those choices for them.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2015!