More than 500 UW-Stevens Point students from campuses in Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wausau will earn their degrees at winter commencement. (Contributed)

UW-Stevens Point to hold winter commencement Dec. 14

By Patrick Lynn

STEVENS POINT — More than 500 graduates will celebrate their academic achievements during the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s winter commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Stevens Point native Danny Mitchell, a 2006 UW-Stevens Point graduate and accomplished instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and composer, will deliver the keynote address. Mitchell, who is currently a keyboardist, bandleader, and vocalist for multiplatinum recording artist Miranda Lambert, will speak to graduates earning doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees from campuses in Stevens Point, Marshfield, and Wausau.

The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at Skyward Fieldhouse inside Marshfield Clinic Health System Champions Hall, 2050 Fourth Ave., Stevens Point. The event will also be livestreamed at www.uwsp.edu/commencement.

Chancellor Thomas Gibson will preside over the ceremony, with assistance from Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs La Vonne Cornell-Swanson. Deans from each college will oversee the presentation of degrees. Music education and music performance major Karina Verdette of Green Bay will perform the national anthem, and she will join music education major Briannah Wanca of Antigo in performing the Alma Mater, accompanied by the UW-Stevens Point Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andy Moran.

Sequoyah Byas, a sociology and social work major from Milwaukee, will serve as the student speaker. Alumni Greg (’76) and Mari Regnier (’85) will lead the alumni pinning ceremony.

Guests are invited to park in campus lots for free, with the exception of Lot F East, which will be reserved for accessible parking.

Mitchell, who earned a bachelor’s degree in jazz piano and composition at UW-Stevens Point, has built a versatile career spanning pop, jazz, country, and classical music. He has collaborated with artists such as Anderson East, Kim Richey, and Mindy Smith, and his compositions have been performed by groups including the National Wind Ensemble and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Wind Ensemble. Mitchell also returns annually to host “Music on a Mission,” a holiday concert benefiting local charities. This year’s event, marking its 12th anniversary, will take place Friday, Dec. 13.