WORDS from the HEART
GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER Derrick R . Coleman , EdD ' 17 River Rouge School District Superintendent
One of GMercyU ’ s own delivered the keynote address at the Graduate Commencement Ceremony . Under Dr . Coleman ’ s leadership , the River Rouge School District recovered from looming insolvency and reversed statewide enrollment trends . The district is now a magnet for families seeking quality programming in traditionally underserved urban communities . Dr . Coleman has cultivated a traumasensitive and healing environment to develop healthy children and create solutions that were previously unavailable for school districts in areas of poverty .
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The universe connects us all . We share a kinship that requires the strength of the collective to ease the burden of others . What will be the dilemmas you focus your life on to address and leverage social equity ? How will you use your voice to create opportunities for others that may not have your privilege ?
” View Dr . Coleman ’ s full speech here .
GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT STUDENT SPEAKER Morgan Buterbaugh ' 22 Master of Science in Education with a Secondary Certification in English
Morgan Elizabeth Buterbaugh was selected as the 2022 Graduate Commencement Student Speaker . Prior to pursuing her master ’ s degree at GMercyU , Morgan earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Penn State University in 2017 and has since moved home to Lancaster , Pa . to work as a Special Education Teacher for emotional support at Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 . Morgan is also an active volunteer for the American Heart Association and is involved with Aaron ’ s Acres , a nonprofit recreational camp for children with disabilities . For the past five years , Morgan has served as a camp counselor and group leader for the organization .
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The Core Values that this University upholds have been integrated into our education and helped to shape us into people who can make a real difference in this world - integrity , respect , service , and social justice . Staying true to these four powerful concepts will strengthen us as we progress in our professional careers for years to come .
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View Morgan ’ s full speech here .
4 TODAY