280 students to graduate from College of Saint Mary on May 20

OMAHA, NEB. – College of Saint Mary will graduate 280 students during Spring Commencement on Sunday, May 20th. They include two associate’s degrees, 21 certificates, 136 bachelor’s degrees, 116 master’s degrees, and five doctorates.

Baccalaureate Mass will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19th, in Our Lady of Mercy Chapel. Final Commencement will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Centurylink Center in Omaha. Sr. Marilyn Lacey, RSM, founder and Executive Director of Mercy Beyond Borders, will deliver the commencement address.

Passionate about making the world a better place, Sr. Lacey has worked with displaced peoples since 1981, both in refugee camps overseas and in resettlement programs in the U.S. She was personally honored by the Dalai Lama in 2001 as an “unsung hero of compassion”. In 2017, she received the $1 million Opus Prize for her work and was recognized as an AARP Fellow along with 14 other nonprofit leaders nationally. She holds a master’s degree in social work from University of California-Berkeley and three honorary doctorates.

Several academic honors will be presented during the ceremony, as well as the awards for Outstanding Student in Education, Humanities, Music, Psychology, Biology, and Chemistry. The recipient of the Spirit of Saint Mary Award, the highest achievement bestowed on a CSM graduate, will also be revealed.

College of Saint Mary has been educating leaders since 1923. Founded for women by the Sisters of Mercy, CSM is a thriving Catholic university that provides access to affordable education. CSM fosters potential and leadership through academic excellence, scholarship and lifelong learning. The University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in many of today’s highest-paying, in-demand fields, including physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, nursing, science, education, business and legal studies.

CSM offers its student body an enriching collegiate experience that includes competitive athletics and a wide range of fine arts opportunities. A member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), CSM Flames student-athletes field teams in 10 competitive sports: basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, bowling, competitive dance, golf, swimming, tennis and cross country. Fine arts play a large role in rounding out an academic experience, and CSM provides students with the opportunity to continue their passion for music, art and drama.

Located in the heart of Omaha, home of four Fortune 500 companies, CSM’s 40-acre campus is adjacent to Aksarben Village’s vibrant and bustling retail and entertainment space, as well as Baxter Arena. CSM is minutes from world-class attractions such as the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Joslyn Art Museum, Lauritzen Gardens and CenturyLink Center Omaha.

To learn more about College of Saint Mary, see CSM.edu or contact Kyle Semprini, Director of Communications & Public Relations. 402-399-2407 • ksemprini [at] csm.edu