IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  5-4-06 CONTACT: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

            SILVER CITY—Steven Ogas and Adele Springer have been selected as the student response speakers for the Western New Mexico University spring commencement ceremony scheduled on Friday, May 5, beginning at 6 p.m at Old James Stadium.  Some 265 degrees will be conferred during the ceremony.

            Speaking on behalf of the baccalaureate students is Steven Ogas, a Silver City native and the first in his immediate family to graduate from college.  He is graduating with a bachelor of science degree with a major in chemistry and a minor in biology. 

            Following graduation, Ogas plans to attend the UNM School of Medicine and work towards a medical degree and possibly pursue a career in cardiology or emergency medicine.  He was officially accepted into the UNM School of Medicine in October of 2005.  He will begin attending UNM in the fall of 2006.

            As a student at WNMU, Ogas served as a peer leader in the Con Confianza program, served as a tutor, and volunteered for the Science Olympiad competition held each year at WNMU.

            Ogas currently works part-time as a pharmacy technician at Silver Rexall Drug and as a medical assistant at the Silver Internal Medicine After Hours Clinic.  He has held both jobs for the past three years while enrolled in classes at Western.

“Working at the pharmacy and the clinic has been more like an out-of-classroom education than jobs.  It is going to help me be that much ahead with my clinical skills by working with the individuals at the After Hours Clinic and in my pharmacological knowledge by working at the pharmacy,” said Ogas.

Attending classes at Western was not his first choice.

“I went to UNM right out of high school and kind of got burnt out.  I took a few years off and basically came back home and worked.  I worked until I realized there was no more advancement that I could get without a college education,” said Ogas.  “I thought Western was accessible and I could get my basics here.  I had every intention of going back to UNM and finishing my degree up there.  One thing that I really liked was the classroom size and the interaction that the students have with the professors at Western.”

“One major difference, especially being a science major, is that up at UNM, the general biology class has about 500 people and so you have about 20 labs that you could sign-up for but all the labs were taught by teaching assistants.  The labs at UNM weren’t taught by the professors like the labs are here at Western.  That was really a strong plus and I decided to stay here and get my education at WNMU.  The classroom size and accessibility with the professors kept me at Western,” said Ogas.

He is the son of Steve and Vickie Ogas of Silver City.

Ms. Springer, the master response speaker, will receive a master of arts in teaching degree in secondary education during the commencement ceremony.  Springer, originally of Perry, Okla., is the administrative secretary for the business administration, criminal justice and police academy.  She has been employed at WNMU for some ten years.

“I got a job on-campus the week that I graduated from Western in May of 1996.  This was because I had worked in the office as a work-study student and the office had a vacancy,” said Springer.  She has the distinction of being the first staff member to be selected as the WNMU Employee of the Month twice.

Springer has been able to take advantage of the generous tuition waiver Western provides as a benefit to its faculty and staff.  In 1996, she earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary education and business.  In order to understand more about the programs in the department she was employed at, Springer earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice in 2001.

Her future goal is to teach at a vocational technical school or community college.  Springer already has a jumpstart on attaining that goal as she taught a business communications class designed for management students at WNMU this semester. 

In addition to raising a family, working fulltime and attending classes, Springer has also participated in a number of groups on campus.  She is a member of the Criminal Justice Club; Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society for criminal justice students; Cardinal Key Honor Society; and an honorary member of Delta Mu Delta, the business department honor society.  She has also served on Academic Quality Improvement Program teams, was elected to serve on staff senate as a senator and is currently the vice president.  She also aids in the setup of computers and facilities for the volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) program.

She is married to Duane Springer,  an employee with the Cobre Consolidated Schools.  The couple has a daughter, Bre Anne,  and is expecting another child in August.

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