President Trietley, Members of the Board of Trustees, Faculty, Administration, Families, friends, and fellow graduates; Welcome to the 2023 Viterbo University Commencement Ceremony. My name is Lana Yeakel, and I am graduating today with my BSN and minor in servant leadership.

Elisabeth had two things she wanted to do when she grew up. She wanted to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and she wanted to perform. For that, she thanks YouTube. “What 10-year-old knows they want a BFA?” she asked. “I did.”

God has a way of always surprising Melissa (Meyer) Mofikoya. A chemistry major at Viterbo, Mofikoya was convinced that she was going to be a doctor. In the fall of her senior year, she had a change of heart and decided to go to graduate school instead of medical school. At the University of North Dakota, she joined a research group focusing on environmental testing and analytical instrumentation.

Meet Katelyn Krahn, a junior from Green Bay, Wis. majoring in social work. Katelyn enjoys helping people and discovered that a career in social work was a good match for her interests and skills. She graduates in 2024.

The recent recipient of a new hip joint that makes him feel like a “rock star,” 74-year-old Fr. Conrad Targonski is still going strong as Viterbo University chaplain. A member of the Franciscan Friars of the Assumption, Iraq War veteran, and conversant speaker of four languages, Fr. Conrad was recently honored with the prestigious Iverson Freking Ecumenical Recognition Award.

Cassie is a secondary education major working as a substitute teacher in a local district while she also earns field experience teaching in middle and high school social studies courses as part of her major. “The classroom teachers have been so welcoming and helpful,” she says.