Newswise — Over 1,500 students are graduating from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) on May 9 and 10, during the university's spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies.
This year's spring class includes approximately 1,173 undergraduate and graduate students. An additional 342 students are expected to complete their degree requirements this summer and are eligible to participate in the spring ceremony.
This year's Graduate Commencement ceremony is on Friday, May 9, at 6 p.m. It recognizes over 500 students earning their master's, specialist or doctoral degrees this spring or summer.
There are three Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 10, recognizing approximately 1,000 students earning their bachelor's degrees this spring or summer. The ceremony schedule recognizes the graduates from specific colleges at the following times:
9 a.m.
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business
12:30 p.m.
- College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
- College of Performing and Visual Arts
3:30 p.m.
- College of Natural and Health Sciences
RELATED: Faces of Spring 2025 Graduates
All ceremonies will be held inside . Tickets are required for entry and are distributed to graduates electronically via their BearMail accounts. Guests must obtain tickets in advance of the ceremony as they are not available at the door.
The ceremonies can be viewed in many ways, including livestream via UNC’s website and for family and friends watching from home. The university also offers live Spanish-language interpretation services and viewing spaces on campus inside the arena and in Lindou Auditorium (located on the lower level of Michener Library) for people who want a less crowded or sensory-friendly viewing space.
More information about tickets, parking locations and a campus map are available on UNC’s commencement website.
The spring 2025 class of graduate students — those earning a master's, specialist or doctoral degree — is more diverse and has a higher number of first-generation graduates compared to other spring classes from the past five years.
The percentage of graduate students who identify as Hispanic/Latine has more than doubled from 7% in 2020 to 17.1% in 2025. This class also has the highest percentage of students (28.8%) who are the first in their families to earn a graduate degree.
- The undergraduate students graduating this spring received just under $25 million in combined merit-based and private scholarships and grants (aid that doesn’t need to be repaid) throughout their UNC education. Additionally, 66% of undergraduates were either paid work study or took an internship over the course of their degree program.
- This year’s undergraduate class had over 300 students (36.8%) who are the first in their families to earn a college degree.
- Our spring 2024 class includes 54 undergraduate and graduate student athletes across the following sports: baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, softball, swimming and diving, volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s soccer and wrestling.
- Our spring class includes 60 United States veterans; 42 undergraduate students and 18 graduate students.
- Our graduates come from 46 Colorado counties, 42 states and 16 countries.
- Our youngest graduate this spring is 19 years old and our oldest is 65.
- The College of Natural and Health Sciences graduated the largest number of undergraduate students (236), followed by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (184), the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (173), the College of Performing and Visual Arts (127) and the Monfort College of Business (122).
- The College of Education and Behavioral Sciences graduated the largest number of graduate students (136), followed by College of Natural and Health Sciences (129), Monfort College of Business (45), College of Performing and Visual Arts (28) and College of Humanities and Social Sciences (16).
- Business Administration was the most popular undergraduate degree this spring (127), followed by Psychology (87), Criminology and Criminal Justice (56), Sport and Exercise Science (46) and Elementary Education (43).
- Special Education was the most popular graduate degree this spring (46), followed by Business Administration (45), Music (27), Biomedical Science (22) and Sport and Exercise Science (17).
- UNC awarded the highest number of undergraduate degrees in the past five years in Music (35), Early Childhood Education (26) and Physics (12), and the highest number of graduate degrees in the past five years in Nursing Education (12) and Athletic Training (11).
With the spring 2025 graduating class, UNC now has more than 144,000 living alumni living and working in all 50 states and more than 80 countries.
Data about UNC’s spring 2025 class is preliminary and based on demographics of students who have applied to graduate as of April 16, 2025. Degrees are officially conferred in June 2025.
Genevieve Altomare
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy
Sport and Exercise Science: Social Psychology of Sport & Physical Activity
Genevieve Altomare (she/her/hers) is a passionate advocate for equity in sport, education and physical activity. She holds a Master of Education and is receiving a doctorate in Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity with an Emphasis in Coach Development. At UNC, Altomare served as the graduate assistant for graduate student engagement, led initiatives like new student orientations and Research Evening, worked at the Campus Recreation Center and designed and taught a cultural competency class to undergraduate students in her field. Dedicated to creating change, Altomare's research focuses on fostering inclusivity, amplifying marginalized voices and ensuring respect and opportunity for all individuals in academic and athletic spaces.
Hannah Rodriguez
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Master of Music
Music: Jazz Studies
Hannah Rodriguez is a versatile vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and teacher. Influenced heavily by jazz, pop and rock, Hannah has a passion for utilizing her voice and writing to blend styles, create opportunities for singers and bring play and improvisation to all. Her variety of talents has been recognized for several years by DownBeat Magazine and the Sonic Spotlight competition, hosted by the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery and the Bohemian Foundation. She recently completed a Master of Music in Jazz Composition and Voice at UNC.
Maria Guadalupe Jimenez
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Bachelor of Arts
English Secondary Education: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education
Licensure: English Language Arts
Maria Guadalupe Jimenez is a proud first-generation college graduate and first-generation Mexican American. Born and raised in Montrose, Colorado, to Lucia Paredes Almanza and Jesus Jimenez Ortega, her passion for education and social justice is deeply rooted in her life experiences and cultural heritage. Committed to advocacy and lifelong learning, Jimenez strives to create meaningful change in her community. As a result, she has achieved a GPA of 3.86 throughout her college career. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her partner, Derek Evan Gadecki and listening to music she can dissect.
Nasim Martin
Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business
Bachelor of Science
Business Administration: Management and Marketing
Nasim Martin is a Business Management and Marketing student at UNC. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Martin attended high school in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He enjoys connecting with amazing people and positive energy, as it brings out the best in him. After graduating, Martin plans to attend graduate school to pursue his master’s degree.He is deeply grateful to his family for their love and support, which has helped him reach this point. A special thanks goes to his mom for providing him with everything he needed to succeed and for inspiring him to continue pursuing the life he’s always wanted.
Alexandria Archuleta
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Bachelor of Arts
Early Childhood: Teaching Emphasis
Licensure: Early Childhood Education
Alexandria Archuleta is a first-generation college student and a Latina woman born and raised in Denver, Colorado. At UNC, she earned her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Prior to attending UNC, Alexandria had many passions, some of which include playing the flute, singing and substitute teaching at a Montessori school during multiple summers. As a substitute, she realized her passion for education. Fortunately, Archuleta was able to pursue her higher education through scholarships and grants. She is a part of several scholarship programs, including the Stryker program, the Cumbres program and being a Latin American Education Foundation (LAEF) scholar. Archuleta is grateful to her family for their support throughout her time at UNC.
Joseph Mestas
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Bachelor of Music
Music: Business
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Bachelor of Science
Mathematics: Applied Mathematical Sciences
Joseph Mestas will be earning a bachelor’s degrees in Music Business and Applied Mathematics, along with a minor in Business Administration and a certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship. As a first-generation college student, he discovered a passion for guiding students to resources that support their personal and academic success. After serving terms as a Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) Senator and Recording Secretary, Mestas was elected Student Body President in 2024. He also served UNC as the vice president of PVA Sibs, PVA Student Ambassador and Writing Consultant. After graduation, Mestas hopes to work at a nonprofit organization that aligns with his passion for community building, music and mathematics.
Maggie Hodgson Mosley
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Bachelor of Science
Health Sciences: Public Health
Maggie Hodgson Mosley is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a minor in Brewing Laboratory Sciences. Throughout her time at UNC, Mosley focused on both academic excellence and community engagement. As an ambassador for the Office of Global Engagement, she helped students connect with international opportunities. With a deep passion for public health and community education, Mosley is committed to creating lasting change. After graduation, she will continue her education as a master’s candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health, ready to further her impact in the field.
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