LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada State University’s most recent graduates made history as they walked the during its commencement ceremony at the Thomas and Mack Center Saturday morning.
The class of 2024 is the first graduating class since the school became a university in the summer of 2023.
NSU president Dr. DeRionne Pollard addressed the sea of caps and gowns saying, “I hope each of you takes pride in graduating from Nevada’s newest university.”
The day marked a special occasion for the Kirklands. The father and daughter duo attended school and graduated together. Trinity earned a Bachelor’s in English with a minor in Creative Writing. She graduated summa cum laude.
“I am so excited and it is so cool I get to do this with my dad,” Trinity beamed. “I am so honored; I look up to him. That is one of my best friends, so we are doing the thing together.”
Her father, Daryl, encouraged his children to seek degrees. He joked he didn’t want to be a hypocrite, so he decided to earn a Bachelor’s as well, in communications.
“I was in the military. I did dental assisting, and then I went to school and got an associate’s degree in computer technology and now I am an it instructor,” he said.
He and Trinity plan to pursue master’s degrees in their fields.
Proud family members cheered from the stands, including Mariela Marenco who was rooting for her niece, Monica Flores.
“I am so proud of her and I am super excited,” Marenco said. “She is the first in the family to graduate with a college degree.”
Marenco’s daughter, Kaylie, voiced her support for her cousin.
“She is the one who got me into Harry Potter so I think it is funny she is graduating with English,” she said.
The date is often referred to as Star Wars Day or “May the Fourth” Be With You. So of course, the graduates held lightsabers to highlight their bright future.
Most of the graduates majored in nursing, education and liberal arts fields. The group brings the total alumni to 8,500 since the school opened in 2002.
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