Several Verde Valley residents recently earned degrees from Western Governors University. The online, nonprofit university held its commencement ceremonies to celebrate the graduation of more than 22,000 students from across the country.

The 70th commencement was held in Orlando, Fla.; the 71st commencement was held in Cincinnati, Ohio; and the 72nd commencement was held in Anaheim, Calif. 
Local graduates are Alisha Keller of Clarkdale who earned a has earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Asami Couyancy of Clarkdale has earned a Master of Arts in Teaching, science. 
Alberta Heydorn of Cottonwood earned a Bachelor of Arts in science. Heather Perez of Rimrock earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing.  Sara Kay of Sedona earned a Bachelor of Science in business management.

 
WGU has recognized 13,244 undergraduate and 8,930 graduate degree recipients, who have completed their degrees in the last six months. Their areas of study include business, K-12 education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. The average time to graduation for those earning a bache­lor’s degree was two years and four months, while the average time to degree for graduate programs was one year and seven months. 

WGU pioneered compe­tency-based education, which measures learning rather than time spent in class. Designed to meet the needs of working adults, students study and learn on their own schedules with individualized, one-to-one faculty support. They complete courses as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered the subject matter; allowing them to move quickly through material they already know so they can allocate time for what they still need to learn. As a result, many WGU students are able to accelerate their studies, saving both time and money. 
The nonprofit WGU was established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online. WGU now serves more than 115,000 students nationwide and has more than 147,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 22 years, the univer­sity has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. 

Learn more at wgu.edu.