290 students to receive degrees, certificates at MSU-WP Commencement May 10

A total of 290 students will be candidates for graduation from Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) during the 2024 commencement ceremony Saturday, May 10, at the West Plains Civic Center.

This includes 264 students who are eligible for associate degrees and 26 who are eligible for certificates.

 

In addition, 103 students will be candidates for graduation from Missouri State University-Springfield. Several graduate and undergraduate programs are available at the West Plains campus through the Missouri State Outreach program. Nineteen students will be eligible to receive master's degrees, and 84 will be eligible for bachelor's degrees.

 

The ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the civic center arena. It also will be livestreamed. Visit WP.MissouriState.edu/Commencement to access the livestream link the afternoon of the event.

DESE commissioner will serve as commencement speaker

 

Dr. Karla Eslinger, former state senator and current commissioner for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), will be the guest speaker at this year's event.

 

Eslinger brings more than 30 years of experience in education and public service to this year's ceremony. Her distinguished career includes roles as an elementary teacher, building principal and superintendent in Ava and West Plains.

 

She also has filled leadership positions at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), provided technical assistance to the U.S. Department of Education, and served as a senior analyst for AEM Corporation in Washington, D.C. 

 

Most recently, Dr. Eslinger represented District 33 in the Missouri Senate from 2021-2024, following a term in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2019-2020.