Fall graduation highlights resilience, success
Approximately 11,300 students will graduate from ASU during various commencements this fall. Photo by Chris Goulet/Arizona State University
Along with events like the birth of a child and getting married, college graduation is one of life’s major milestones.
That’s certainly how Anna Shultz views the time-honored celebration.
“This degree means so much. This is the first time I’ve ever graduated because I didn't actually graduate from high school," said Schultz, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the W. P. Carey School of Business this month. “I was a high school dropout. I went and took my GED instead. This will be the first time that I will walk across the stage and get my diploma.”
Schultz, a 45-year-old Army veteran and mother of four, is one of approximately 11,300 studentsThese figures represent the number of students who have applied for graduation as of Dec. 5. The exact number of degrees may change up to two weeks after graduation. who will commemorate that milestone Sun Devil-style in a series of fall 2024 graduation celebrations in December.
More than half of those students earned their degrees through ASU Online. Of the total number of graduate and undergraduate students, Arizona residents made up about 40%, or just over 4,500.
“The entire academic community is ready to celebrate the success of our graduates at convocation ceremonies later this month,” said Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost. “The accomplishments of this cohort of graduates are worthy of our admiration. Among our graduates this December, more than 3,700 graduates are the first in their families to earn a college degree.
“Every student's journey to a degree is unique, and we are proud of each and every one of our graduates for achieving what they sent out to accomplish. Graduates, we are here to support you and be a resource to you as you begin your next journey in life as ASU alumni.”
Other notable numbers from this fall's graduating class:
- Of those who applied to graduate, 7,510 are undergraduates (representing a 1.5% increase from 2023); 3,675 are graduate students (representing a 4.5% increase); and 196 are ASU Law students (representing a 15.3% increase).
- The largest number of students — 2,447 — are graduating from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, followed by 2,098 from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and 1,394 from the W. P. Carey School of Business.
- Of the overall total, 1,378 are international students, underscoring ASU's being named the No. 1 public university choice of international students.
- ASU Online has seen significant increases in a variety of areas, including an 85% increase in the number of students receiving degrees from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts; a 27% increase from the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts; and a 21% increase from ASU Law since 2023.
Schultz said she will use her new degree to advance in her current job at Sechler Morgan Certified Public Accountants, an Arizona-based firm dedicated to service of nonprofit organizations.
“I was working as an assistant at the firm but my degree will enable me to do more of the tax return and bookkeeping side,” Schultz said. “I love the company I work for and am happy I am now able to contribute more.”
Youjin Choi, who will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and business data analytics, has used her education to find gainful employment. She’ll be working as a data analyst for DriveTime, which has about a half dozen used car dealerships in the Valley.
“I was working part time as an analyst but now I’ll be transitioning to full time after I graduate,” said Choi, who was born in Seoul, Korea, and graduated from Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, in 2021.
Choi said it was ASU’s diversity that made her experience at the university a memorable one.
“I’ve met so many different people from all walks of life while attending ASU,” Choi said. “I see so much diversity, especially within W. P. Carey because we have a lot of international students. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and making these incredible connections.”
The university has a range of nearly two dozen commencement and convocation ceremonies, running Dec. 14-19, honoring the individual colleges and student groups. For more information, visit graduation.asu.edu.
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