Class of 2024 CES Graduates Share About Journey to and Blessings of Education

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By Rachel Sterzer Gibson, Church News

Over the past month, graduations have taken place at Ensign College and BYU–Idaho on April 11, at BYU–Hawaii on April 19 and at Brigham Young University on April 25. Among the four institutions, nearly 13,000 degrees and certificates have been conferred.

During BYU’s commencement, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles noted that graduations can be a spiritual benchmark, an invitation to both look back in gratitude and look forward in anticipation and exploration.

With that in mind, here’s a sample of some of the recent graduates of Ensign College, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Hawaii and Brigham Young University, who look back on what they’ve gained and how they’ve been prepared for the future by an education through the Church Educational System.

Ensign College

Afokwalam Ugochukwu, an online student from Owerri, Nigeria, earned a Technical Support Engineer Certificate from Ensign College facilitated through BYU–Pathway Worldwide.

In a recorded video from his home in Nigeria, he told graduates of Ensign College on April 11 that his online studies have been “a transformative journey.”

There were many times where Ugochukwu said he felt overwhelmed and on the verge of giving up but the support and encouragement of his parents and his BYU–Pathway mentors “guided me in my darkest moments,” he said.

Earning this certificate has been an “empowering experience,” he continued. “It has instilled confidence in me, as I now possess a deeper understanding of IT systems and technologies.” It has also fundamentally reshaped his perspective, capabilities and aspirations, he added.

Ugochukwu’s advice for current students? “Stay focused on your goals, remain resilient in the face of obstacles, and never underestimate the power of perseverance.”

Ensign College graduate Rebekah McHenry also spoke during the ceremony.

McHenry, a mother of six, received a prompting in 2020 to “go learn about accounting.” After learning about Ensign College’s accounting certificate, she enrolled.

“And then I cried,” McHenry said. “How can I do this? I worked evenings to support my missionary son, my youngest of six children was just starting kindergarten, and I was in my 40s.”

Her trust in what Heavenly Father planned for her life needed to be stronger than her fears and insecurities, she said. After earning a certificate, McHenry felt prompted once again to keep going, earning a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in accounting.

“Over the past four years at Ensign College, my trust in the Lord’s timing, His process and His plan for my life has grown exponentially. This period has transformed me into a more capable and trusted disciple of Jesus Christ,” she said.

Stats About Ensign College Graduates

• 2,540 awards to 2,078 graduates: 2,135 certificates, 300 associate degrees and 105 Bachelor of Applied Science degrees.
• Of the 2,078 graduates, 1,666 are Ensign College Online students through relationship with BYU–Pathway Worldwide.
• 888 graduates are men and 1,190 are women.
• 832, or 40%, have served full-time missions.
• 931 of the graduates are from the United States, and 1,147 graduates are from 92 other countries and represent 55% of all graduates.
• 458 graduates, or 22%, are first-generation students.

BYU–Idaho

Chad Bell, who graduated from BYU–Idaho with his bachelor’s degree in computer science on April 11, had a lot of options of where to go to college.

With a 4.0 GPA and a 34 on the ACT out of high school, Bell was looking at “bigger name” schools but ultimately decided on BYU–Idaho.

After taking a campus tour, “I knew that BYU–Idaho was the right place for me and where I needed to be,” Bell said.

One of the things that has made Bell’s experience at BYU–Idaho excellent, he said, has been his interactions with the faculty.

“I love the faculty here at BYU–I. Honestly, they’re some of the best people I’ve ever met, and they’re definitely the best instructors I’ve ever had,” he said.

Whether it was his first-year English professor or his statistics professor, Bell said, the faculty have been student-focused, eager to meet with students and learn their names. “The best thing about the BYU–I instructors is their love for you as the student.”

BYU Radio announcer and recent BYU–Idaho graduate John McSwain shared on the university’s podcast, BYU–Idaho Disciple Journeys, his somewhat unconventional road to Rexburg, Idaho, and how the university has changed his life.

Born in Morristown, New Jersey, McSwain said he and his family were in and out of activity in the Church for many years. In his 20s, McSwain said he hit “rock bottom” and turned back to God. “I just said: ‘I’m here for you, Lord. I’m going by faith. I’m going [to do] Your will. Let it be done,’” McSwain said. “It has benefited me in my life to do so.”

After high school, McSwain did odd jobs to try to make a living. McSwain attended culinary school, and he became a licensed massage therapist. It was while working as a grocery store manager that he considered going back to school, and a friend in his ward introduced him to BYU–Pathway Worldwide.

“I enrolled, and I loved it,” McSwain said. “It is the first time I’ve ever been in a learning environment where it views the teachings of Jesus Christ with academic learning. And I thought that was the greatest thing ever.”

After completing Pathway Connect, McSwain enrolled in BYU–Idaho online. After about a year, a ward member encouraged McSwain to travel to Idaho to visit the campus.

Experiencing the campus environment and meeting with faculty convinced him to “drop everything,” including quitting his job at the grocery store, and move to Rexburg.

Learning to involve the Lord, not only in his learning but in all of his endeavors, has been pivotal, McSwain said. “It has made me a better or stronger disciple of Jesus Christ.”

Stats About BYU–Idaho Graduates

• A total of 2,815 graduates.
• 1,652 were women and 1,163 were men.
• The school awarded 2,101 bachelor’s degrees and 800 associate degrees.
• 1,644 were campus-based students, 1,171 were online-based students.
• 1,280 started their education as BYU–Pathway Worldwide students.

BYU–Hawaii

BYU–Hawaii graduate Shareef Basan of the Philippines can remember his family eating sugar and rice for meals to save money to send him to school. His mother, he related during BYU–Hawaii commencement on April 19, worked several heavy-labor part-time jobs to offer him an opportunity she was never given — the chance to graduate from high school.

“Life was tough,” Basan recalled. While serving a full-time mission, however, he went on exchanges with another missionary who told him about BYU–Hawaii’s IWORK program, which assists international students in obtaining higher education.

“That conversation ignited a spark within my heart to try and apply to BYUH,” he said.

Upon returning from his mission, Basan immediately applied but was rejected. He felt like the rug had been pulled out from beneath him. “But instead of staying down on the ground, I decided to dust myself off, stand up and try again,” he said.

Knowing it would require money to come to Hawaii, Basan got a job at a teleperformance call center in the Philippines. Because the Philippines was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Basan had to stay on-site and sleep under his desk. He did that for six months, saved as much money as he could and reapplied.

Finally, he received a letter saying he was admitted to BYU–Hawaii and accepted into the IWORK program. “I cried myself to sleep that night with a heart full of gratitude to my Heavenly Father,” Basan said.

Basan and his fiancee, Therese Geneblazo — a BYU–Hawaii student whom he has known since he was 16 — planned to marry the week after graduation. Their hope is to eventually return to the Philippines, serve in the Church and start a business to support their families.

When Basan, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business management, received the email asking him to speak during commencement, he thought: “I am not worthy for this privilege. There are many students who are far more qualified compared to me,” he told BYU–Hawaii News.

Then he realized many other students are diligently trying to achieve their dreams in the shadows, avoiding the spotlight. “Maybe this opportunity is given to me to let them know that even though they are known by just a few people, just like me, their contributions to the university are no less significant, their voices can be heard, and they can receive opportunities like this.”

In his speech, Basan issued a special thanks to his mother, whom he hasn’t seen for eight years and whose visa was denied to travel to Hawaii for the ceremony. “Behind every dreamer is a source of inspiration, a guiding light that keeps the flame of hope alive. For me, that light has always been my mama.”

The world needs dreamers, Basan told graduates. “It needs those who dare to imagine a better future, who are not afraid to challenge the impossible. Because every solution, every innovation, every positive change started with a dream.”

Stats About BYU–Hawaii Graduates:

• Graduates: 380
• U.S. states represented: 34
• Countries represented: 23
• Age range of graduates: 19 to 50
• 55% women, 45% men
• Bachelor's degrees earned: 371
• Associate degrees earned: 9
• Graduates who had at least 1 job via BYU–H or Polynesian Cultural Center while a student: 88%

Brigham Young University

Recently, Brigham Young University Honors student Macy West presented an essay during a conference at Johns Hopkins University.

Looking at all of the other student presenters who were from Ivy League and other prestigious schools, West worried, “Oh man, I don’t know if I’m on par with these people.”

But her essay won best essay out of the group. West thought, “My BYU education, what the philosophy department has given me, is completely on par with anyone else’s education.”

The mentorship of her professors combined with rigorous classes “results in a remarkably high-quality education,” West told BYU News.

For West, who represented her fellow graduates as the student speaker during BYU’s commencement on April 25, that experience was one of many that defined her BYU experience.

Majoring in philosophy with a minor in theoretical and applied ethics, West served as the president of the philosophy club and co-producer and co-host of the “Y Philosophy” podcast. She also interned with the legal departments of two companies. She will attend the University of Chicago Law School on a full scholarship.

In her remarks at graduation, West shared how privileged BYU students are to attend an institution that values Christlike discipleship alongside scholarly pursuits and for “forums and devotionals that invite us to ponder the nuances of the gospel and ask thoughtful questions, classes where we have undergone periods of intensive learning motivated by the knowledge that enlarging our intellects is of eternal importance, and a lifelong community with which we can take part in the quest for perfection and eternal life.”

During her time at BYU, West also participated in the university’s Creative Connections program, which is a therapeutic art program for high-risk youth. “The emphasis that BYU places on community service helped me realize that whatever I end up doing within the law, I want public-oriented service to be part of it.”

Stats about BYU graduation:

7,198 total degrees:

• 5,820 bachelor’s degrees.
• 1,095 masters degrees.
• 283 doctoral degrees.

48% male; 52% female

All 50 states and 70 foreign countries are represented.

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