Among nearly 1,100 graduates who celebrated earning their degrees during the 2021 fall UCCS Commencement ceremonies, 11 were UCCS staff members and their relatives.
Most took advantage of the tuition benefit provided to CU employees and qualified dependents. UCCS employees can waive up to nine credits per academic year for undergraduate and graduate courses. For additional information, visit CU Employee Services.
Staff who earned degrees as part of the fall Class of 2021 include:
- Bailey Ashida, Career Coach in the T. Rowe Price Career and Innovation Center. She will earn her Master of Arts in Leadership in Education from the College of Education.
- Chrissie Bailey, Office Manager in the Wellness Center. She will earn her Master of Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs.
- Sue McClernan, Career and Industry Outreach Program Director in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. She will earn her Master of Business Administration from the College of Business.
- Leonardo Signorelli, Web Designer in the Office of Information Technology. He will earn his Bachelor of Innovation in Game Design and Development.
- Ashlyn Gaughan, Admissions Counselor in the Office of Admissions. She will earn her Master of Arts in Communication from the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences.
- Lin Kaplan, Senior Sponsored Project Accountant in the Controller’s Office. She will earn her Master of Public Administration and a certificate in grant writing from the School of Public Affairs.
- Cortney Strack-Loertscher, HR Professional in the School of Public Affairs. She will earn her Master of Business Administration from the College of Business.
- Jayna Bell, Lead Teacher in the Family Development Center. She will earn a Bachelor of Innovation in Inclusive Elementary Education.
Relatives earning degrees include:
- Samantha Howell, daughter of Stacey Howell, Administrative Associate and Lion One Card Business Service Manager. Samantha will earn her Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts from the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences.
- Jerome Long, husband of Enid Ruiz-Mattei, Associate Director of Budget & Resource Planning in the Office of Budget and Planning. Jerome will earn his Bachelor of Science in Business from the College of Business.
- Sharla Windle, daughter of Shelly Raney, Senior HR & Payroll Professional. Sharla will earn her Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts from the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences.
If you are aware of an admission to be made to this list, please email Anna Squires.
About the UCCS Fall and Summer 2021 Commencement Ceremonies
The UCCS fall 2021 Commencement ceremonies celebrated 1,086 graduates of the summer and fall semesters. Nearly 600 graduates attended the ceremonies at the Broadmoor World Arena on Dec. 17, 2021, along with family and friends. More than 40 of those were graduates from the Classes of 2020 and spring Class of 2021, who returned to walk across the Commencement stage after having celebrated their graduation virtually. See the full Commencement program online. View the full livestream on YouTube.