Seattle

July 14-15

Commencement Weekend in Seattle

FAQs

Alumni Celebration
Friday, July 14

The Museum of Flight
9404 East Marginal Way S.
Seattle, WA 98108

6:00-9:00 pm

Commencement
Saturday, July 15

Climate Pledge Arena
334 1st Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109

Master's Check-in Time: 8:30 am
Master's Ceremony Start Time: 9:30 am

Bachelor's Check-in Time: 12:30 pm
Bachelor's Ceremony Start Time: 1:30 pm

Venue Bag Policy

Watch the livestream here on Saturday, July 15th!

Master's Ceremony
12:30 pm EST /11:30 am CST / 10:30 am MST / 9:30 am PST

Bachelor's Ceremony
4:30 pm EST / 3:30 pm CST / 2:30 pm MST / 1:30 pm PST

Seattle Commencement Deadlines:

RSVP
Deadline: CLOSED
Graduate Speaker Application
Deadline: CLOSED
Anthem Singer Audition
Deadline: CLOSED
Cap & Gown Ordering
Deadline: CLOSED
Philanthropy Cord
Spirit Necklace

Seattle Commencement Details:

Commencement Program

Bag Policy

If necessary, guests are permitted to bring:
ONE CLEAR BAG that does not exceed 14″w x 14″h x 6″d in size
OR
small clutches/purses/wallets that do not exceed 4.5″x 6.5″ in size

Commencement Parking

Please note that parking will range from $25-$30

For parking map and to pre-purchase parking, click here

Monorail Transit

Seattle Center Monorail is opening one-hour early at 7:30am on Saturday, July 15, 2023. The Monorail provides fast, direct transportation between Westlake Center (400 Pine Street, Seattle, Level 3) and Seattle Center (close walking distance to Climate Pledge Arena). The train departs approximately every 10 minutes, the trip takes about 2 minutes. To access Westlake Monorail Station, use the stairwell or elevator located on 5th Avenue between Olive Way and Pine Street and go to Level 3.

Monorail accepts ORCA cards or you can purchase a ticket from a ticket vending machine in the station (card only). More information: SeattleMonorail.com

Commencement Guest Tickets

Guests attending Commencement in Seattle to celebrate their graduate will need to show this ticket upon entry to Climate Pledge Arena.

Please screenshot or print out the ticket and send it to your guests. They will need to show it to enter Climate Pledge Arena. Note: tickets are unlimited.
Graduates will show their GradPass, which will be emailed the week of commencement.
Re-entry to Climate Pledge Arena is not permitted. Please stay for the duration of the commencement.

Print/Screenshot Ticket Here

Alumni Celebration in Seattle

Friday, July 14, 6:00-9:00pm PT

Kick off your commencement weekend with this exclusive alumni celebration in honor of our graduates!

All graduates and families who are attending the 2023 WGU Commencement in Seattle are invited to join us for the Alumni Celebration at The Museum of Flight.

This family-friendly event is free to attend and will provide grads and their guests opportunities to connect, enjoy refreshments, take photos, play games, enjoy amazing airplanes, and dance the night away! We encourage graduates and guests to dress in business attire. Come for the celebration, stay for the fun:

Take photos in our social photo booth and share using #WGUgrad

On your way into the museum, take photos with a live owl!

Arrive to the museum earlier in the day and let the admissions staff know you're with WGU for free admission

Meet Sage the Night Owl

Visit our affiliated partnership booths to receive career advice, purchase WGU swag, refer a friend, pick up your WGU Philanthropy Cord, and more

Hit the dance floor or play family-friendly games with a fun WGU twist

Enjoy refreshments and self-pay bar

Participate in our passport activity for a chance to win a gift code to the WGU Online Store.

Contact Information

Alumni Celebration contact: alumnievents@wgu.edu

Alumni Celebration ADA and accessibility: alumnievents@wgu.edu

Commencement questions: commencement@wgu.edu

Parking Details

There is free parking on site and the parking spaces are located next to the Museum entries on the east and west sides of East Marginal Way. View more parking and direction details here.

Date: July 14, 2023

Time: 6-9 pm, PT

Location:
The Museum of Flight
9404 East Marginal Way S.
Seattle, WA 98108

Keynote Speaker

Jen Mueller
Trainer, Speaker, Sports Broadcaster

A 22-year sports broadcasting veteran, Jen Mueller is in her 15th season as the Seattle Seahawks sideline radio reporter. She is also an Emmy-award winning producer and is part of the Seattle Mariners television broadcast team on ROOT SPORTS. Jen was the 2022 recipient of the Keith Jackson Media Excellence Award presented by the Seattle Sports Commission.

In addition to her work on the sidelines, Jen is established as a business communication expert. Through her company, Talk Sporty to Me, she provides a unique twist on business communication based on her time in locker rooms and expertise in 1-on-1 conversations. She is also the author of three books and the executive producer of her own cooking show.

Bachelor's Ceremony Student Speakers

Lacey Junell

Lacey Junell has earned her bachelor’s in elementary education with the hope of teaching kindergarten this fall and is mother to 4 amazing children. As a former at-risk-youth and teenage mother, she finds joy in supporting children from hard places to help them realize their potential.

While she acknowledges the tough times she faced, Lacey would not change any of it, because it has made her who she is and has given her the gift of empathy for those around her. Lacey passionately fundraises for children all over the world who are experiencing medical and other challenges. In her spare time, you can find Lacey crocheting, reading, and creating craft projects with her kids.

Thomas Fairchild

Thomas Fairchild is a husband, father, and second-generation Washingtonian educator who blazes a path of passion for truth and love wherever he is called. After working in sales and the service industry for over a decade, Thomas decided to pursue his lifelong dream of teaching in public schools.

Starting at Edmonds Community College, he graduated in 2016 and received an Honorary Triton Award, but could not afford time away from family to attend the University of Washington. He shelved his dream until 2019, when he realized WGU’s accessibility and affordability were a perfect fit for his schedule.

Since then, Thomas has been a fierce advocate for students and educators alike. He currently serves as president of the Student WEA, zone director of NEA’s Aspiring Educator caucus, and also sits on WEA’s AI Task Force and the Documents and Resolutions Committee.

Master's Ceremony Student Speakers

Francesca Capozzi

Graduate Speaker, Francesca Capozzi, hails from Florida and Honduras, having spent her childhood years back and forth between the two. While attending college in Florida, Francesca was diagnosed with Psuedotumor Cerebri, a condition where the brain overproduces

spinal fluid and crushes the optic nerve, leaving her almost completely blind. She immediately underwent the first of 32 surgeries to regain her sight and was forced to drop out of traditional college. While dealing with the aftermath of her diagnosis and procedures, she was overjoyed to find a university that would allow her to continue her academic career. She earned B.S. Marketing Management and M.S. Data Analytics degrees from WGU. These degrees helped Francesca land a job with Microsoft first as a disability advocate then as an engineer, prompting a cross-country move to the Seattle area. Francesca enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Brian, and her service dog, Appa.

David Cinderella

David Cinderella currently serves as Senior Director for Oracle Communications, leading a global technical sales team. He is a recognized leader, earning numerous accolades including Employee and Manager of the Year Awards. He has managed teams worldwide for multiple companies and mentored hundreds of employees during his 35-plus year career.

David is a lifetime learner who most recently earned his MBA from WGU in May 2023 and prior to that completed his Bachelor of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

His passion is sharing his knowledge and teaching others. He is a published author and an accomplished technical trainer. He has also authored and delivered new employee training programs for multiple organizations, including Sybase, Portal Software, and Oracle.

David is a proud husband and a father of 2 children. He is a Disney fanatic, a serial volunteer, an active Knight of Columbus, and he loves reading. He is also an avid sports fan and an inaugural season ticket holder for NHL’s Seattle Kraken.

National Anthem Singers

Erin Darby

Washington native Erin Darby was raised in Snohomish County and is an avid Seahawks and Mariners fan. Erin has a deep love for all music, growing up playing the piano, violin, clarinet, and saxophone.

She is a single mother to three daughters, ages 12, 9, and 4, and the family keeps busy caring for two puppies and two kittens.

Following high school, Erin worked in finance for 15 years, the last six she managed her own local office until the economic crash of 2008, at which time she re-evaluated her career and opted to transition into healthcare. While obtaining her associates in nursing, she gave birth to identical twin girls prematurely and lost her first-born twin to Necrotizing Enterocolitis after one week. Erin’s second-born twin (currently 12 years old) remained in the NICU for five weeks, during which time Erin returned to school and completed her final exams for the semester. After this traumatic life experience, Erin became involved with the March of Dimes, even becoming the spokesperson for the Snohomish County Walk for several years sharing the story of her girls, loss, and survival.

Since earning her nursing license in 2013, Erin worked in OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Interventional Radiology, and Oncology Infusion. She has worked in Oncology for the past eight years and she reports that being an Oncology Infusion Nurse has been the most rewarding career that she could have ever imagined. Now with her bachelor’s degree she plans to continue her nursing career in Oncology with a focus in education and advocacy.

Aleyna Herley

Aleyna Herley is a first-generation college graduate whose parents immigrated from the Philippines. Born and raised in South Seattle, Aleyna grew up with one older sister.

Aleyna enjoys all things related to music. She’s performed at various competitions and has traveled extensively across the country, including New York City. Most of all, she loves learning about the history of jazz music.

Aleyna has always been passionate about fostering growth, curiosity, and success in the lives of young children. Prior to receiving her master’s degree in teaching from WGU, she received her bachelor's in psychology from the University of Washington. Aleyna was an educator for a school in Unincorporated King County and is now a personal assistant, with plans on continuing her passion of being an educator next fall.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking with her husband, spending time with family, playing the piano, organizing her house, and traveling. She is the proud wife of Derek and daughter to Cesar & Miriam.

Parking & Bag Policies

Information Coming Soon!

Hotel Discounts

Information Coming Soon!

Alumni Celebration in Seattle

Friday, July 14

Information Coming Soon!

Keynote Speaker

Information Coming Soon!

Bachelor's Ceremony Graduate Speakers

Information Coming Soon!

Master's Ceremony Graduate Speakers

Information Coming Soon!

National Anthem Singers

Information Coming Soon!

Frequently Asked Questions

Ceremony FAQs

A commencement guidebook will be loaded onto the commencement app and emailed to each graduate with check-in details, parking, maps, and much more.

Graduates are recommended to bring up to 8 guests, but tickets are not required to enter the commencement ceremony. Please feel free to bring your extra guests. Graduates do not need to update their initial guest count with the Commencement Office.

Tickets are not required for WGU commencement weekend events.

Only the names of graduates who physically attend an in-person commencement or submit a video to a virtual commencement will have their names read.

Policies vary by location and venue. Please consult the commencement app for further details three weeks prior to the ceremony date.

Please arrive dressed in your cap and gown for the commencement ceremony. Due to the number of graduates and schedule, it is not practical to change into regalia at the venue.

You can watch the commencement ceremony at the WGU YouTube channel at any point after the start of the ceremony.

The commencement photos are usually available 2-3 weeks after commencement. Those photos will be available for viewing at https://thegradteam.com/events/wgu/

Did you know that WGU Alumni have access to hundreds of discounts? Log in to BenefitHub to search for deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.

Ceremony Participation & RSVP FAQs

There is not a time limit on when a graduate may walk in a commencement. Graduates may only participate in one commencement ceremony per degree program completed.

Tickets are not required for commencement weekend events.

Generally, the commencement ceremony lasts 2 hours.

Yes, it is possible for a commencement ceremony to reach capacity. We suggest that you submit an RSVP to your desired ceremony as soon as you are eligible.

Please review the commencement participation guidelines located in the student handbook, which outlines the eligibility for commencements.

Graduates who wish to participate in an in-person or virtual commencement ceremony must complete two steps.

Submit either your Graduation Application or be enrolled in and only have your final course remaining, such as capstone, final certification, or student teaching.

Submit an RSVP via the commencement web site (available at wgu.edu/commencement).

To RSVP, you must have either your Graduation Application submitted to the Student Records department or be enrolled in your final course, such as capstone, final certification, or student teaching. If you don’t currently meet this requirement, wait to RSVP until the requirement is met.

Students who are enrolled in their final course may submit an email to commencement@wgu.edu with "Final Course" in subject line along with desired commencement ceremony.

No, the graduation application process is separate from commencement. If the Commencement Office has granted a final course exemption, you do not have to have your graduation application submitted to walk at commencement.

Yes, the ceremony RSVP form is a separate process from the graduation application. The completion of the ceremony RSVP form reserves your seat at commencement and generates your name card for the announcer. 

After a graduate submits the ceremony RSVP form, a confirmation email is sent to the email address listed on the completed RSVP form. Please check your junk inbox. If you do not see a confirmation email for your ceremony RSVP. Please contact us at commencement@wgu.edu with additional questions.

No. Once registration has closed, no late additions, including day of (walk-up) will be permitted.

Graduates may walk in one commencement ceremony per degree. As of January 2022, a graduate may participate in one ceremony per degree, either a virtual or in-person ceremony.

Photos from each commencement ceremony will be available for purchase through our photography partner The Grad Team in the week following each commencement. All photos can be viewed on their website here.

Regalia FAQs

Oak Hall Cap and Gown is the official regalia vendor (caps, gowns, and hoods) for WGU. You can place your order via the website or call 1-800-456-7623 and ask for the Web Department. The official regalia color for graduates is navy.  For visual reference, please see our bachelor’s regalia video and our master’s regalia video. 

For bachelor’s degree, post-baccalaureate teacher programs, or endorsement preparation program (English Language Learning), you should order a cap, bachelor's gown, and tassel. For those earning a master's degree or endorsement preparation program (Educational Leadership), you should order a cap, master's gown, tassel, and a master's hood.

The following master’s hoods are available for purchase at the WGU-Oak Hall Cap and Gown website:

Education - blue
Business (all MBAs) - drab
Information Technology - gold
Nursing – apricot
Integrated Healthcare Management - salmon
Master of Health Leadership - sage green

You can order a tassel at the WGU-Oak Hall Cap and Gown website, or by calling 1-800-456-7623 and ask for the Web Department.

Yes, WGU graduates affiliated with an honor society may wear society pins or honor cords/sashes on their gowns. Teacher graduates affiliated with the WGU chapter of the international honor society of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) may order honor cords at http://www.kdp.org.

Prior to the conferral of degrees, bachelor's degree graduates wear the tassel on the right while master's degree graduates wear their tassel on the left for the entire commencement ceremony.

A graduate should wear academic attire appropriate to the awarded degree. The master's gown differs from a bachelor's gown. If you already have a cap and tassel, you can order a master's gown as an individual item on the WGU-Oak Hall Cap and Gown website. Please note that the academic attire for a master's graduate includes a cap, tassel, master's gown, and hood.

WGU graduates who are veterans or active-duty military will be provided with a military honor cord. For virtual commencements, cords will be shipped to the address provided on their RSVP. For in-person commencements, cords will be picked up at graduate check-in. On your RSVP form, please mark that you are a veteran or on active duty.

Graduates are permitted to decorate their caps and wear sashes with their regalia. Take into consideration the following if decorating your cap or wearing a sash for commencement:

WGU does not allow content on caps or sashes that is considered, in WGU’s sole discretion, obscene, vulgar, defamatory, hateful, inappropriate, profane or that might disregard another’s copyright or third-party rights. All decorations must lie flat on the cap.

Philanthropy Cords FAQs

The Philanthropy Cord is a blue and gold cord that WGU graduates often wear with their cap and gown at commencement. The Philanthropy cord is not only a symbol of their commitment to WGU, but also an opportunity for them to “pay it forward” and help current and future WGU students.

Graduates can receive a Philanthropy Cord by making a gift of $25 or more to WGU’s Fellow Night Owl Scholarship, a fund established to help current WGU students facing financial hardship cross the finish line to graduation. To donate, graduates can text “WGUCord” to 41-444 or visit this link.

All proceeds from the Philanthropy Cord sales support our Fellow Night Owl Scholarship Fund, which helps current students experiencing financial hardships with need-based scholarships. Your donation is put to immediate use and provides help when it is needed the most. To learn more, click here.

For in-person commencements: If a donation is made more than four weeks prior to commencement weekend, the Philanthropy Cord will be mailed to the graduate. The cord may also be picked up by visiting the WGU Advancement table at the Alumni Celebration or during graduate check-in before commencement.

For virtual commencements: Philanthropy Cords will be mailed to the graduate prior to the ceremony date.

WGU Advancement, founded in 2018, is the official fundraising arm of Western Governors University (WGU). We are committed to supporting our students, faculty, and staff through our fundraising program to advance the mission of WGU. Your gifts help us to attract and retain talented students, provide student scholarships, and help our students “cross the finish line” to graduation!

No problem. You can donate to the Fellow Night Owl Scholarship Fund by clicking on this link or texting “WGUGrad” to 41-444. Every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Thank you in advance for your support.

Letter of Invitation for Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs

Yes, students may send an email to records@wgu.edu with the family member's full name, relationship to the student, and foreign address. Once provided, the Records Department will prepare documents containing information about the commencement and student's earned degree. These prepared letters will then be sent to the student to forward them to the correct parties. It may take 5-10 business days for the letters to be mailed to the student.