Associate Professor and Faculty-in-Residence at the Faculty Center for Teaching and
Learning Eric Warner will deliver an address to two Ferris State University Fall 2022
commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 17, continuing a tradition for Ferris’ Distinguished
Teacher Award recipient.
Graduates of four Ferris State University colleges and its Doctorate of Community College Leadership program will hear words of suggestion and challenge from Spanish for the Professions Professor Eric Warner. As the 2022 Distinguished Teacher Award winner, Warner is the featured speaker at the Fall 2022 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 17.
“I have identified a few ideas I want to present to the graduates, such as maintaining a growth mindset for the course of their lives,” Warner said. “There are quotes from renowned American poet and activist Maya Angelou that resonate with me, which I believe can help them to shape their considerations and pursue a well-rounded life.”
Warner also wishes to challenge the last members of Ferris’ Class of 2022. He will urge them to delve into their perceptions of success at this milepost in their educational journey.
“There is a well-regarded poem from the early 20th century by Bessie Anderson Stanley that I have always found to be a valuable, beneficial message,” Warner said. “Our most recent alumni may have the idea their income or status is an important focal point, but I hope to encourage them to check back on how they view success throughout their lives, so they might see worth in giving back to their communities. Our founder Woodbridge Ferris sought to have his students ‘make the world a better place.’ That concept will always be worthwhile and rewarding for graduates as they enter and pursue their careers.”
The colleges of Business and Health Professions begin their commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in Jim Wink Arena of the Ewigleben Sports Complex in Big Rapids. The College of Arts, Sciences and Education, College of Engineering Technology and the DCCL graduates have their ceremony begin at 1:30 p.m. More than 500 Fall 2022 graduates have arranged to receive their diplomas in person, with approximately 750 students graduating from Ferris as the Fall 2022 semester concludes.