CLAREMONT, Calif.– Eighty-nine people are now graduates of the newest class to complete Western CUNA Management School.
The “Tau” class graduation followed three examinations, two projects, and several virtual and in-person sessions and took place at Pomona College. The ceremony for 89 graduates marked the conclusion of the 62nd annual session of WCMS and the 60th graduation commencement.
“The Tau Class took great pride in recognizing WCMS’s previous 59 alumni classes,” according to WCMS. “Graduating students looked to the future of their work in the credit union movement after starting their WCMS journey four years ago.”
The commencement ceremony was the first in-person WCMS graduation in three years.
According to WCMS, while a service-learning objective is present for all WCMS classes, the Tau Class particularly focused its 2022 class event on creating more than 500 activity kits for local youth. The kits were then donated to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Shruti Miyashiro, WCMS Class of 1998 and the new CEO of Digital FCU in Massachusetts and former CEO of Orange County’s Credit Union, was the commencement speaker.
“For a leader, success is not about your title or how much money you make,” Miyashiro said. “It’s about realizing the success in the lives of those you lead.”
Recognized For Contributions
Bob Toohey, WCMS 1975 graduate, founder/chairman emeritus of the WCMS Alumni Association, and longtime credit union volunteer, received this year’s James D. Likens Alumni Recognition Award for significant achievements in the credit union field since graduating from the school.
“Joining him was Dr. James Likens, who is retired but has devoted his entire life and career to WCMS, its students, alumni, and the school’s philosophy,” WCMS said. “Toohey’s lifetime of accomplishments, volunteerism, and achievements were duly recognized with Likens by his side, preceded by both of them briefly reminiscing on stage about how they met nearly 50 years ago.”
Recognized With Honors
Four Tau students graduated with “High Honors,” and 11 students graduated with “Honors.” These distinctions were earned based on each student’s performance on the examinations taken by all students at the end of each school year and for their analysis in each of their two major research projects (based on their credit union) completed between sessions.
Students graduating with “High Honors” were: Carl Murphy (Colorado), Julia Niziolek (Alaska), Farren Shumate (Washington), and Ian Wiggins (Oregon).
Students graduating with “Honors” were: Amera Aiello (California), Meagan Barrett (Colorado), Brittany DeVries (Montana); Jordan Gray (California), Jessica Jamison (California), Gina Jorgensen (Oregon), Eric Mayer (Idaho), Jeff Mosser (Oregon), Amanda Myers (Idaho); Aaron Pitroff (California), and Monica Ruelas (California).
Additional Honors
Julia Niziolek, executive director of insurance and investment services for Alaska USA FCU, received the Rick Craig Prize for Excellence in Project II. The award recognizes superb excellence in a student’s second-year WCMS project, an endeavor usually taking each student more than 200 hours to complete.
In addition, every year the graduating student who best represents high moral character, leadership, credit union dedication, and academic achievement is nominated by his or her class to receive the Charles M. Clark Memorial Award. This year’s recipient was Stephanie Demendonca, branch manager at Foothill FCU (California).
WCMS noted this year’s graduating class continued with the long-standing tradition of paying it forward to future leaders and giving back to WCMS funds it earned in service-learning activities. This year’s graduating class gift of $20,000 represents the total raised over the past four years in Tau Class and tri-class led efforts.