Wausau West, Merrill graduates to play lead roles at UW-Eau Claire commencement

EAU CLAIRE - It's safe to say the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's winter commencement will feature a heavy Wausau-area influence.

Sarah Kate Beck, a 2014 Wausau West graduate, will deliver the student address Dec. 22 during commencement for the university's College of Business and College of Education and Human Sciences.

Her former Wausau West classmate, Kevin Ruhl, will lead the graduates in singing the university's "Alma Mater."

And 2013 Merrill High graduate Matthew Pfantz will lead the singing of the national anthem.

Beck and Ruhl both were members of Wausau West's Master Singers choir group. Beck is set to receive her bachelor's in English, and Ruhl and Pfantz both are getting degrees in choral music education.

The three will have featured roles in the morning commencement exercises that day. An afternoon ceremony also will be held for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

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A commencement committee selected Beck to present the "Blugold Reflections" student address for the morning ceremony, based on her submitted speech, according to Debra Lang, coordinator.

In her address, called "Plan of the Day," she'll talk about lessons she learned from her grandfather, how they helped her through college and apply to all graduates' experiences, according to a transcript the university released.

A total of 670 students are candidates for bachelor's degrees this winter at UWEC.

One of them, too, is a Wausau East graduate who received recognition this week for earning her biology degree in just 2 1/2 years.

The ceremonies will be shown live online Dec. 22 at uwec.ly/live.