Wagner College is excited to honor and celebrate the Class of 2024. The College’s undergraduate commencement will take place at 9:30 a.m. on May 17. The commencement for those who have earned graduate degrees will be at 4:30 p.m. on May 16.
By the numbers
Students in Wagner’s Class of 2024 represent 15 New York counties, 30 U.S. states and territories and 16 countries.
- 542 total graduates
- 377 bachelor's degrees
- 152 master's degrees
- 33 MBA
- 100 Master of Science
- 19 Master of Science in Education
- 8 post-masters certificates
- 5 doctors of nursing practice
- 3.47 is the average undergraduate grade point average
- 23 is the average age of bachelor’s degree recipients; the youngest graduating undergraduate is 20, the oldest is 57
- 29 is the average age of students receiving graduate degrees; the youngest is 22 and the oldest is 57
- The top three undergraduate majors are:
- Nursing - 120 students
- Business - 61 students
- Theater - 37 students
- 178 graduates are receiving honors degrees
Speakers
Undergraduate Commencement speaker:
Michael Tadross ‘72
Michael Tadross has played a pivotal role as a leading figure in the film industry for over 35 years. Tadross is currently President of Productions at Stampede Ventures, having produced more than 55 movies in his career.
He previously produced a number of critically acclaimed films for Warner Bros., including Oceans 8 and Sherlock Holmes. Before Warner Bros., Tadross served as Executive Vice President of Feature Production at Paramount Pictures, where he oversaw blockbusters including Forrest Gump. His production credits also include Hitch, for Columbia Pictures and Die Hard: With A Vengeance for 20th Century Fox. Tadross is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America, the Director’s Guild of America, and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
In 2006, he was nominated for the NAACP Image Award and received The Movie Guide Award for best family-oriented film for Hitch.
Tadross graduated with a B.A. from Wagner College and received the Wagner College Distinguished Graduate Award. He previously served on the College’s Board. He is a member of the Honor Legion of the New York City Police Department and serves on the Board of Victory Memorial Hospital.
Undergraduate Commencement student speaker:
Valerie Guan ’24
Valerie Guan, graduating with a degree in accounting, is proud to have been born and raised in New York City. She has been recognized as an active student leader, from serving on the executive board for a variety of student organizations to speaking as a student panelist at campus visit events. Guan is tremendously appreciative of the supportive community and numerous opportunities offered at Wagner which have inspired her to be the person she is today.
Graduate Commencement speakers:
Dr. Kathleen Ahern
Dr. Kathleen Ahern is a nurse and nursing educator who has been shaping lives for more than four decades. Dr. Ahern is Wagner College’s Director of Graduate Nursing, and helped found the Doctor of Nursing Program. A board-certified family nurse practitioner and an NLN-certified nurse educator, she also served in the Army Reserve Nurse Corp, where she earned the Army Medal of Achievement. She is actively engaged in collaborative research and is a Research Analyst Consultant to both physicians and nurses. She has received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the Wagner College Alumni Association as well as the Graduate Professor of the Year Award. Dr. Ahern received the Distinguished Researcher Award from the Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital, for her work mentoring medical students, residents and attending physicians in research. Dr. Ahern received a diploma in Nursing from Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing and a B.S. and M.S. in Nursing from Wagner College. Her Ph.D. in Nursing is from Adelphi University.
Graduate Commencement student speaker:
Victoria Vega ’24
Victoria Vega earns her second Wagner College degree with a Master’s in Family Nurse Practitioner. She previously graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. As a native Staten Islander, Victoria engaged actively in community events and assumed leadership positions at Wagner College, where she demonstrated commitment to service and excellence, including Vice President of Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority and various memberships in nursing and college honor societies. Victoria embodies the spirit of compassionate care and academic excellence, poised to make significant impacts in the healthcare field.
Evelyn L. Spiro Nursing Pinning Ceremony speaker:
Kimberly Spiro
Kimberly Spiro ’L49 was elected to the Wagner College Board of Trustees in 2006 and served until her last term ended in 2018. She was re-elected to the board in 2019. Kim serves on the Executive Committee. She is a member of the Advancement and Marketing, and Athletics Committees, and has continued to serve on the Wagner College Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing Advisory Council since 2011.
Kim has worked as an Advertising Account Executive on national accounts such as Purina, Perdue, Red Lobster, and McDonald’s segueing into commercials and photography.
Her parents, Don and Evelyn Spiro, were Wagner sweethearts from the class of 1949. Don received a degree in Business while Evelyn received a degree in Nursing and was a member of Tau Lambda Chi. Don was a member of the fraternity Delta Nu and the honorary society Omicron Delta Kappa. Don was inducted into the Wagner College Hall of Fame in 2020. He served as Chairman Emeritus and as a member of the Wagner College Board of Trustees, and was later named a Lifetime Trustee. Both Don and Evelyn went on to receive honorary doctorate degrees from Wagner College, in recognition of their longstanding support and service to the institution. The Nursing school is named in honor of Kim’s mother, Evelyn L. Spiro, and the Nursing school deanship is named after Kim, who facilitated and funded the endowment of the position, leaving a true legacy at Wagner.
In addition to serving on the Wagner College Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing Advisory Council since 2011, Kim has served on the Nursing Advisory Board at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing since 2013, the Neurosurgery Board at Johns Hopkins since 2014, the Parent Advisory Boards at Loyola University and Gettysburg University, and the 50 Legs nonprofit organization since 2021. Kim also serves on the Executive Committee of the Wagner College Guild.
Special awards
Honorary degrees will be awarded to Kimberly Spiro, Michael Tadross ‘72, and Angelo Araimo.
Join the event
Both ceremonies will be webcast live, and viewing information will be accessible on the Wagner College Facebook page.
