Graduation August 2018
Takes place August 3-5
Andrews University’s summer graduation will take place August 3–5, 2018. The weekend’s central events begin Friday evening with the Consecration service, continue Saturday morning with the Baccalaureate service and conclude Sunday with the Commencement service. All services will take place at Pioneer Memorial Church unless otherwise noted. Overflow seating for the Baccalaureate and Commencement services is available in the Pioneer Memorial Church Youth Chapel. Please note that in order to provide more seating for families of graduates, seating in the church sanctuary for Commencement is by ticket only.
Additional recognition and dedication programs are planned for Friday and Saturday. Consult the online schedule for a complete listing at andrews.edu/graduation.
Janet Ledesma, associate dean and professor of leadership in the School of Education, will present the Consecration address, “Unbroken While Broken,” on Friday, August 3, at 8 p.m.
Ledesma, who earned her PhD at Andrews University, also works as the educational leadership coordinator and was formerly chair of the Faculty Senate at Andrews. She served as an Adventist school principal for over 28 years in all types of schools: preschool, elementary, junior academy and boarding academy. She has a burning desire to assist Adventist school principals through mentoring and by developing resources such as webinars. Ledesma’s publications focus on principalship, resilience and spiritual leadership. As a servant leader, she enjoys helping others reach their highest potential. One of her greatest joys is family time with her two young adult children.
On Saturday, August 4, Charles A. Tapp, senior pastor at Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church, will offer the Baccalaureate address at 11:45 a.m. His presentation is titled “The Great Work.”
After earning a bachelor’s in theology and accounting at Oakwood College, Tapp received an MDiv at Andrews University. Over the past 37 years, he has served in the Northeastern Conference, the Inter-American Division, the South Central Conference and the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In addition to his pastoral ministry, he has worked in radio and television broadcasting as an announcer, voiceover artist, producer and host of several programs. He has also served as an instructor on several Adventist college and university campuses in the United States and abroad. At Washington Adventist University, where he is an adjunct instructor in the Department of Religion and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, his course “The Fundamentals of Prayer” became part of the University’s curriculum in 2001. Tapp has been married to the former Maureen Mair for 34 years. They have been blessed with three adult daughters.
A vespers program led by graduates will take place in Pioneer Memorial Church at 8:30 p.m. on August 4. Immediately following vespers, there will be a President’s Reception for graduating students and their parents in the Great Lakes Room of the Campus Center.
On Sunday, August 5, Julian Melgosa, associate director of education for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and associate editor of “The Journal of Adventist Education” (international editions), will speak for the 9 a.m. Commencement service. His address is titled “Transition.”
Melgosa earned a bachelor’s degree with majors in education and psychology as well as an MA in psychology from the University of Madrid (Spain). He later graduated with a PhD in educational psychology from Andrews University. Melgosa is a chartered psychologist, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and a prolific author in the area of emotional and mental health. He has taught at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels and served as dean of the School of Graduate Studies at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), where he also served as president. Most recently, Melgosa was dean of the School of Education and Psychology and professor at Walla Walla University. He has served the Seventh-day Adventist educational system in five divisions and worked as an accreditor for the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities and for the Adventist Accrediting Association. His wife Annette is a librarian, and they have two adult children.
Select graduation services will be livestreamed. For details, visit andrews.edu/graduation.
PR
pr@andrews.edu
