MARCH 7-8, 2025
Commencement Weekend in Dallas
Alumni Celebration*
Friday, March 7
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location
Texas Live!
1650 E Randol Mill Rd
Arlington, TX 76011
Commencement*
Saturday, March 8
Leavitt School of Health & School of Education
Ceremony Check-in: 8:30 am
Ceremony Start: 9:30 am
School of Technology & School of Business
Ceremony Check-in Time: 12:30 pm
Ceremony Start: 1:30 pm
Globe Life Field
734 Stadium Drive
Arlington, TX 76011
*Details subject to change
Have Questions? Ask Cappy!
Text "Hi" to 1-833-644-2028 or scan the QR code below:
RSVP Information
To RSVP, you must have either your Graduation Application submitted to the Student Records department or be enrolled in and only have their final course left, such as capstone or final certification, with the exception of direct hours for field experience 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.
For more information, review the Commencement Ceremony Participation Guidelines.
If you have any questions, please contact us at commencement@wgu.edu or by phone 385.428.2085.
Attention iOS users (iPhone/iPad): please use Chrome or Firefox browser to submit your ceremony RSVP form. If you use Safari (default iOS browser) to complete your RSVP form, you will receive a false application rejection message. If uncertain, please complete the ceremony RSVP form on a computer rather than your iOS device.
This RSVP is now closed.
Additional Information
Dallas Deadlines and Links:
- RSVP
Deadline: February 5, 2025 - Graduate Speaker Application
Deadline: Closed - Anthem Singer Audition
Deadline: Closed
Dallas Details:
Learn More About Commencement Day
Watch this video to see what a typical in-person commencement day looks like for a graduate.
Parking
Parking is $20
Click Here for the Parking Map
Regalia Update
As of 2025, WGU's regalia colors have changes. All gowns will be navy blue with multi-colored green, navy, and silver tassels and navy and silver hoods
Bag Policy
All backpacks and collers of any kind are prohibited.
Bags must be no larger than 16”x16”x8” to enter Globe Life Field.
Exceptions to these policies include those carried for medical reasons or manufactured diaper bags that accompany infants and young children.
Learn more here: https://globelifefield.com/bag-policy/
Hotel Discounts -There are no available discounts at this time
Keynote Speaker
Anthony Robles
Anthony Robles is a three-time all-American wrestler who won the 2010-11 NCAA wrestling championship in the 125-pound weight class despite being born with only one leg. A graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Business Communication, he was also awarded the 2011 NCAA “Best Wrestler of the National Tournament Award”.
Robles is the recipient of the “Jimmy V Perseverance Award” at the 2011 ESPN ESPYs and he has also received the NFL “Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award”. Robles is a Nike athlete, the first signed to an agreement after having retired from active participation in a sport. He is currently ESPN's NCAA wrestling analyst and expert. He was inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012 and is the author of Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion. In 2013, President Obama appointed Robles as a member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Additionally, Robles was a member of the Presidential Delegation to the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games.
In 2015, the National Wrestling Media Association awarded Robles with the "Broadcaster of the Year" award, and he was inducted into Arizona's Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Between 2018 - 2021, he became the Guinness World Record Holder for 3 different pull-up records. In 2022, Robles was inducted into ASU's Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame.
As a testament to the extraordinary nature of his life story, principal photography for a film based on Robles’ life was completed in January 2024. Produced by Artist Equity and set to be distributed by Amazon Prime MGM, the film titled “Unstoppable,” features an ensemble cast including Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, and Jennifer Lopez
Alumni Celebration in Dallas
Kick off your commencement weekend with this exclusive alumni celebration in honor of our graduates!
All graduates attending the 2025 WGU Commencement in Dallas are invited to join us for the Alumni Celebration at Texas Live!
This family-friendly, come-and-go event is free to attend, and we encourage graduates and guests to dress in business attire.
At the celebration, you can:
Free professional portraits (graduates only): Elevate your LinkedIn profile with free professional portraits- courtesy of WGU!
Meet with local employers for career opportunities
Reconnect with Alumni in your area
Visit our affiliated partnership booths to receive career advice, purchase WGU swag, pick up your WGU Philanthropy Cord, and more.
Take photos in our social photo booth and share using #WGUgrad
Meet Sage the Night Owl
Enjoy light appetizers, refreshments, and self-pay bars
Hit the dance floor or enjoy the free-to-play arcade
Come for the networking, stay for the fun.
*Please note: 2025 Dallas graduates are allowed to bring up to six (6) total guests.
Date: March 7, 2025
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location:
Texas Live!
1650 E Randol Mill Rd
Arlington, TX 76011
Contact Information
WGU Alumni Celebration: alumnievents@wgu.edu
WGU Alumni Celebration accessibility: alumnievents@wgu.edu
WGU Commencement: commencement@wgu.edu
Parking Information
Free Parking in Lot B
Graduate Speakers
Emma Bouza
Emma Bouza is a proud graduate of Western Governors University from the M.S. Nursing - Leadership and Management Program. Throughout her time at school, she successfully balanced academics with leadership, serving on multiple boards and councils at the community and state levels, including candidacy for the Iowa state legislature. Driven by her passion for making a positive impact, Emma also founded Ruby’s Red Bags, an initiative dedicated to equipping first responder vehicles with sensory bags.
In addition to her academic achievements and community involvement, Emma has worked full-time in special education as a para for the past eight years, supporting and empowering students with diverse needs. As a mother of two, one of whom has Down syndrome, she is deeply committed to advocacy and inclusion, both in her professional life and at home.
Emma looks forward to continuing her work in education and advocacy, where she hopes to inspire change and be a voice for those who need it most
Sandra Schneider
Sandra Elizabeth Schneider is a proud Texas native, born and raised in Galveston, TX. She is the daughter of two Salvadoran parents who instilled in her the value of hard work and integrity from a young age. Sandra earned her B.S. in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2013. She is the mother of two boys and the wife of a neuro nurse. Sandra began her nursing career by empowering patients to manage their dialysis at home, helping them maintain as much normalcy as possible while awaiting transplants. She is a member of the American Nephrology Nurses Association and is certified in peritoneal dialysis. Recently, Sandra transitioned to a new role in the perioperative surgical department in her hometown. Alongside her spouse, she pursued a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a focus on Leadership and Management, and both will graduate together at the upcoming Commencement in Dallas.
Outside of work, Sandra enjoys spending time with her family, baking, traveling, watching Korean shows with her husband, staying active, and attending church. Looking ahead, she aspires to support and guide future nurses in their educational journeys.
Shauna Greer
Shauna Greer is the HR Manager for a city in Utah, where she oversees the HR and Risk Management departments. Raised in a family without the means to pay for college, Shauna didn’t understand how student loans worked and lacked direction on what she wanted to do, so she chose not to attend college. Without formal education or training, others saw her potential and gave her a chance in HR. She fell in love with the profession and developed a desire to return to school for it one day. Encouraged by her supervisor, she pursued a degree at WGU. After 16 years in the field, she earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resource Management in September 2024. Shauna also holds PHR and SHRM-CP certifications.
Shauna is married, has two beautiful daughters, and one fur baby. She believes that laughter is the best medicine, loves The Little Mermaid, attends musicals when she can, and dreams of petting a full-grown lion. Shauna says the most important things in life are to keep laughing, be kind, and love others.
Thomas Applegate
Thomas Applegate is from the small farming community of Hammonton, New Jersey. Completing a degree was a long-standing goal of his, and he finally achieved it in September 2024 when he earned his B.S. in Information Technology. He chose IT as his field of study after serving in various IT roles throughout his 20+ year career. Despite facing several health challenges along his educational journey, Thomas persevered.
He has two daughters, aged 13 and 10, as well as two cats. In addition to his family life, Thomas volunteers his time as a merit badge counselor for the Scouts of Scouting America, sharing his knowledge with young people. He also enjoys developing mods in the GTA V – FiveM modding community.
National Anthem Singers
Angela Smith
Angela Smith lives in Norman, Oklahoma, with her husband of 33 years, Michael, and their two children. She has been an elementary school teacher with Norman Public Schools for 25 years, and for the past 10 years, she has especially enjoyed teaching English Learners. For years, a friend and fellow EL teacher who is also a WGU graduate encouraged Angela to pursue her M.S. in English Language Learning. However, Angela never felt the desire to pursue a master’s degree. As a busy teacher, she spent her extra time at church or watching her kids play sports. After loving every minute of raising their daughter and son, Angela and Michael found themselves true empty nesters last spring when their youngest child got married.
This shift in her life led Angela to consider pursuing an M.A. in English Language Learning from WGU. The announcement that their first grandchild was on the way made her realize it was now or never! She enrolled and began her first class on September 1, 2024. After four and a half months of hard work, prayer, and more than one miracle, she completed her last paper on January 15, 2025—just 10 days before the arrival of her grandson. Angela is excited to use what she has learned to become a better EL teacher for her students and a more valuable resource for her co-workers.
In her free time, Angela loves to sing and is an active member of her church choir. She was also honored to be a soloist for the Oklahoma Worship Choir’s most recent recording. Additionally, she enjoys leading worship nights with a group of friends through the Sharinjoy Ministry. Now, she plans to focus on being the best grandma possible!
Amber Barker
Amber Barker hails from Krum, TX, where she lives with her loving husband and three children. She has overcome significant challenges to achieve her goal of earning a bachelor's degree. As the parent of a special needs child with autism and a rare form of epilepsy— which at one point caused her son to have up to 200 seizures a day—Amber faced numerous obstacles while pursuing her degree. Despite the complexities of caregiving, she persevered and successfully completed her B.S. in Healthcare Administration. Amber chose healthcare administration because she realized that it wasn't just the doctors and nurses caring for her son—it was the people behind the scenes, coordinating his care, ensuring his insurance covered his services, and handling the administrative tasks that allowed the medical team to do their jobs. She recognized that these behind-the-scenes professionals provided just as much care as those offering direct medical attention.
Through these experiences, Amber has developed a unique blend of resilience, empathy, and problem-solving skills. She is passionate about applying these abilities in her professional life to make a positive impact on the healthcare system.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Amber enjoys singing at her church and embracing her inner Harry Potter nerd. Her love for music and fantasy literature provides a creative outlet and inspires her to approach life's challenges with imagination and courage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Commencement Ceremony FAQs
- Ceremony Participation and RSVP FAQs
- Regalia FAQs
- Philanthropy Cord FAQs
- Letter of Invitation for Families Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs
- Graduation Application & Diploma FAQs
Commencement Ceremony FAQs
A commencement guidebook with check-in details, parking, maps, and more will be loaded onto the commencement app and emailed to each graduate two weeks prior to the ceremony.
Due to varying space limitations, Alumni Celebration and Commencement guest count policies are different.
Alumni Celebration: Each graduate is invited to bring up to six guests to the Alumni Celebration they choose to attend. Local alumni that are invited to attend the alumni celebration are invited to bring up to three guests. This measure is designed to accommodate as many graduates as possible while allowing everyone to enjoy the festivities with their loved ones.
Commencement: Guests are recommended to bring up to 8 guests to ensure our event doesn’t reach venue capacity; however, please feel free to bring additional guests. Tickets are not required to enter the commencement ceremony*. Graduates do not need to update their initial guest count with the Commencement Office if there are any changes.
*Tickets will be required for the commencement ceremonies in Atlanta, Georgia at Gas South Arena and in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena.
No, tickets are not required for WGU commencement ceremony. *
*Tickets will be required during the commencement ceremonies in Atlanta, Georgia at Gas South Arena. and in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena.
The names of graduates who physically attend an in-person commencement will be read as they cross the stage. All Virtual Commencement participants’ names will be read during the Virtual ceremony.
No. Graduates are called to the stage by schools and not in alphabetical order.
Please arrive dressed in your cap and gown for the commencement ceremony. Due to the number of graduates and precise schedule, it is not practical to change into regalia at the venue.
You can watch the commencement ceremony on the WGU YouTube channel at any point after the start of the ceremony.
The commencement photos will be available approximately 2-3 weeks after the ceremony. 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 and RSVP FAQs
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 demonstration 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 demonstration 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.
Please review the commencement participation guidelines located in the student handbook, which outlines the eligibility for commencements.
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 box. If you do not see a confirmation email for your ceremony RSVP. Please contact us at commencement@wgu.edu with additional questions.
Yes. There is not a time limit on when a graduate may walk in a commencement. However, graduates may only participate in one commencement ceremony per degree program completed.
No, but you may watch the commencement ceremony for free on the WGU YouTube channel.
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.
No. Once registration has closed, no late additions, including day of (walk-up) will be permitted.
Click on the RSVP button on this page.
Please visit the upcoming commencement web page.
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.
WGU plans to hold multiple in-person and virtual ceremonies in the 2023 calendar year! Please keep an eye out for the 2023 Commencement locations and dates that will be released later this year. Please bookmark wgu.edu/commencement where next year’s commencement schedule will be posted. You can also sign up to be notified via email when the 2023 Commencement Schedule is released. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
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
WGU works with Balfour as our official regalia vendor (caps, gowns, tassels, hoods, stoles). Please visit the Balfour regalia website for ordering.
Please note: As of 2025, WGU’s regalia colors have changed. All gowns will be navy blue with green tassels and navy and silver hoods.
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 from our regalia vendor.
Education - Blue
Business (all MBAs) - Drab
Technology - Gold
Nursing – Apricot
Integrated Healthcare Management - Salmon
Master of Health Leadership - Sage green
WGU works with Balfour as our official commencement goods vendor. Please visit the Balfour website for ordering.
Prior to the conferral of degrees, bachelor's degree graduates wear their 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 our commencement vendor’s website. Please note that the academic attire for a master's graduate includes a cap, tassel, master's gown, and hood.
Yes, WGU graduates affiliated with an honor society may wear society pins or honor cords/sashes/stoles to represent their academic achievements, affiliations, or identity 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.
Graduates who are members of The National Society of Leadership and Sucess may wear honor cords indicating this affiliation.
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 the Alumni Celebration or at Commencement during graduate check-in. On your RSVP form, please mark that you are a veteran or active duty.
Graduates are permitted to decorate their graduation caps. Take into consideration the following if decorating your cap 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.
WGU Philanthropy Cord FAQs
The WGU Philanthropy Cord is a blue and gold cord for graduates to wear with their cap and gown at Commencement. The Philanthropy Cord is not only a physical symbol of a graduate’s commitment to WGU, but also more importantly supports a philanthropic legacy that will last for future generations of 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 WGU Philanthropy Cord donations support WGU’s Fellow Night Owl Scholarship, a fund established to help current WGU students facing financial hardship cross the finish line to graduation.
For in-person commencements, you may choose to have your Philanthropy Cord mailed to you or picked up at Commencement by visiting the WGU Advancement table at the Alumni Celebration or during graduate check-in the morning of Commencement.
For virtual commencements, Philanthropy Cords will be mailed prior to the ceremony date.
WGU Advancement is the official fundraising arm at WGU dedicated to attracting, allocating, and putting dollars to work so more students have access to an affordable, quality education. WGU Advancement’s operation is the next step in WGU’s ever-growing obsession with students’ success, and a way for the increasing number of WGU graduates, donors, and partners to pay it forward.
Thank you for your generous support! You can donate to the Fellow Night Owl Scholarship by texting “WGUGrad” to 41-444 or by visiting this link.
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.
Jostens is the current provider for commencement announcements.
Graduation Application and Diploma FAQs
Visit the graduation application page in the student handbook for the most current information on how to apply for graduation.
Visit the graduation application page in the student handbook for the most current information on how to receive your diploma.
