Park University's Gilbert campus in Arizona will host its very first graduation ceremony on April 30.
On April 30, 2022, the Park University Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus will hold its first commencement ceremony at Paloma Community Church in Mesa, Ariz. Approximately 70 students are expected to participate in the event, receiving their bachelor's and master's degrees.
Located in the heart of the town's Heritage District at the University Building, 92 W. Vaughn Ave., the Park University Gilbert Campus is one of two locations in the Phoenix area and among three campuses in Arizona. The University also has campuses at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale and at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson.
The University system, which includes campuses on military installations across the country and extensive online programs, currently serves 13,250 students annually worldwide, with about 500 students in Gilbert.
Brigette Peterson, the mayor of the Town of Gilbert, will provide the keynote address at the ceremony. Peterson has been the mayor since January 2021, having served more than five years on the Gilbert Town Council prior to her mayoral term. Before joining the town council, she served on the Gilbert Planning Commission for more than 14 years.
Yira Brimage began her role as the vice president of the Gilbert Campus of Park University in November 2021. Shane Smeed, who has been appointed as the president of Park University, effective January 2022, after serving 13 months as interim president, will also speak to the graduates and confer degrees at the ceremony.
Laurie DiPadova-Stocks, a professor of public administration at Park University, will also be in attendance.
The Park University Gilbert Campus received approval by the Higher Learning Commission and the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. The University system includes three campuses in Arizona and a total of 41 campuses in its system.
While detailed biographical or broader political background information on Peterson may not be readily available, she is known primarily as the mayor of Gilbert, Arizona. The Park University Gilbert Campus began offering classes and degree programs in October 2018.
In the context of the commencement ceremony at Park University Gilbert Campus, the mayor of Gilbert, Brigette Peterson, will deliver the keynote address, underlining her continued involvement with the community after serving on the town council and the planning commission for over 19 years. As education and self-development are crucial for personal and professional growth, the event signifies a significant milestone for the 70 students who will be receiving their bachelor's and master's degrees. The Park University Gilbert Campus, with its focus on both campus-based and online education, serves a diverse network of students worldwide, fostering an inclusive and dynamic education-and-self-development environment.
