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Nearly 500 master’s program candidates along their family and friends filled McCarthy Quad on Friday, May 17 for the ������̳ Masters Commencement Ceremony. The new location provided ample of space for the graduates, which have grown to unprecedented numbers since the launch of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Online program in 2009.

Flag bearers Amber Montero MFT ’13 and Rebekah Kim MAT ’13 led the ceremonial procession, and Dean Karen Symms Gallagher welcomed the newly minted degree holders in teaching, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), educational counseling, marriage and family therapy (MFT), postsecondary administration and student affairs (PASA), and school counseling.

Double alumnus Amir Whitaker ME ’08 EdD ’11, founder and director of the nonprofit , gave the Commencement Address. He spoke about his inspirational transcendence from a youth in the juvenile justice system; his discovery of a passion for learning and motivating young people at USC; and his work around the country to inspire teens to reach their personal, academic and professional dreams.

Student Speaker Jonathan Owens MAT ’13, an Iowa native and award-winning teacher, spoke to fellow graduates about how his Rossier experience has transformed him. His parents didn’t know he was this year’s Rossier student commencement speaker until the ceremony. “As educators we face challenges that previous generations did not experience,” he said. “Thankfully, in my Rossier classes I learned about concepts that can help educators meet these challenges head on.”

View a video of the complete master’s commencement ceremony:

2013 Master’s Commencement Flag bearers:

• Amber Montero MFT ‘13
  
  Montero has a passion for working with adolescents who have experienced trauma, and helping them to achieve their academic, social and emotional goals. The first in her family to go to college, Montero is working towards her MFT licensure as a school guidance counselor, and plans to earn her doctorate next. Her long-term plan is to open a non-profit that advocates for adolescents.

• Rebekah Kim MAT ‘13
  
  Kim’s journey in the sport of synchronized swimming began 19 years ago, and she made her Olympic Games debut in Beijing in 2008, as the first Korean American to make the U.S. Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team. In addition to working as an English teacher, Kim will continue coaching, promoting health and fitness throughout LAUSD, and serving on her church leadership team.

Contact Thomas Jenkins if you wish to obtain an extra copy of the commencement program or the commencement newsletter.

View photos of the master’s commencement ceremony: