The Dec. 18 winter commencement was a 鈥渢wofer鈥 for the Ronald family of Louisville.
Just hours after Ann Ronald took part in a 3 p.m. doctoral hooding ceremony, her daughter, Mollie Ronald, received a master鈥檚 degree at the main commencement . Both are graduates of the College of 成人直播 and Human Development.
鈥淢y mom and I are excited to graduate on the same day,鈥 Mollie Ronald said in an email message.
The mother-daughter team was among the more than 800 students who took part in commencement at the KFC Yum! Center.
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Graduation day was especially meaningful for 23-year old Iraqi-born Lamia Shnawa, who immigrated to the U.S. in 2007 under an emergency visa program because her life was in danger. At that time, Shnawa was an interpreter for the Bagdad-based U.S. Army in the heavily fortified Green Zone鈥攁 job that caused her to receive death threats from terrorists.
鈥淚t was a horrible life and a horrible way to go to work,鈥 said Shnawa who graduated with a master鈥檚 degree from CEHD with a concentration in English as a second language.
As a teenager in Iraq Shnawa said the opportunity to finish a degree in the U.S. was something she 鈥渄reamt about鈥 and now that graduation day has arrived it is 鈥渁 dream come true.鈥
Her entire family鈥攎other, two sisters and three brothers鈥攈ave all left Iraq and now live in Louisville.
UofL President James Ramsey presided at the 7 p.m. ceremony and bioengineering student Louis Curtis gave the student address.
were bestowed on Doris and Ulysses 鈥淛unior鈥 Bridgeman Jr. The Bridgemans are UofL graduates and each received a Doctor of Public Service (honoris causa) degree in recognition of their community service and support of the university.
