Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne and Warsaw celebrated its 49^th annual commencement ceremony tonight at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The College graduated more than 1,300 students in Fort Wayne and Warsaw and awarded 1,600+ associate degrees, certificates, and technical certificates.

STUDENT SPEAKER: The class of 2019’s student speaker was Mateo Gonzalez, who graduated with an associate degree in criminal justice and general education transfer core technical certificate. When he first began attending Ivy Tech, Gonzalez was a college dropout with no sense of direction. But with the help of Ivy Tech and the G.O.A.L. y Amigos student organization, Mateo became a leader on campus.

BUD CURTIS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING STUDENT: The College gives two Curtis Awards each year: one recognizing an outstanding graduate from the College’s career and technical schools, and the other, the university/transfer schools. This year’s winners are Josiah Abel, from the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, & Applied Science; and Nicole Minier, from the School of Arts, Sciences, & Education.

The Bud Curtis Award winners are chosen from among the Ivy Tech Fort Wayne/Warsaw Outstanding Student Awards, which are awarded to one student per academic school. This year’s remaining Outstanding Student Awards went to the following students:

• Sarah Wadkins, School of Business, Logistics, & Supply Chain
• Magdalene Reinhart, School of Health Sciences
• William Guidinger, School of Information Technology
• Patrick Essex, School of Nursing
• Sonja Biberstine, School of Public Affairs & Social Services

PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN INSTRUCTION: Each Ivy Tech across the state nominates the winner of its President’s Award, which goes to a full-time faculty member, for the Founder’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. The Ivy Tech Fort Wayne/Warsaw nominee is Jennifer Knapp, faculty in the Paramedic Science program. She will attend a statewide dinner in June to be honored by the College and to learn who the statewide Founder’s Award recipient is for this year.

ADJUNCT FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN INSTRUCTION AND GERALD I. LAMKIN AWARD RECIPIENT: Each Ivy Tech across the state nominates the winner of its Adjunct Faculty Award, which goes to a part-time faculty member. These nominees are then eligible for the Gerald I. Lamkin Award for adjunct faculty members. The Ivy Tech Fort Wayne/Warsaw nominee of the statewide Lamkin Award is agriculture instructor K. David Kohli. In March 2019, he was honored as the statewide recipient of the Lamkin Award.

SPECIAL NOTE: Students and guests used #IvyTechGrad to share celebratory moments on social media. Use the hashtag to view graduation photos and messages of encouragement on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.