Northern hosting two commencement ceremonies on May 1

Press release

Montana State University-Northern has announced that the 2019, 2020 and 2021 commencement ceremonies will be Saturday in the Armory Gymnasium.

Northern was unable to hold a ceremony in 2020 due to the pandemic, this ceremony is a combination of students from 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In order to reduce the number of people in the Armory Gymnasium, MSU-Northern will be holding two commencement ceremonies. All those in attendance will be required to wear a mask. 

The two ceremonies are not open to the public. Each person graduating will be allowed five guests including children.

Northern will simulcast both commencement ceremonies for people unable to attend. People can use the appropriate links and details below.

Northern has 633 students eligible to receive a total of 1,081 degrees. The numbers break down into 260 women, 366 men, 153 certificates, 484 associate degrees, 405 bachelor’s degrees and 39 master’s degrees.

First commencement ceremony — 10 a.m. in the Armory Gymnasium

• College of Arts, Sciences and Education graduates honored

• College of Health Sciences graduates honored

• Graduates are asked to come to the Registrar’s Office at 9 a.m. to pick up their walk card

• Graduates are asked to line up in the second floor of Cowan Hall

• Gym doors will open at 9:30 a.m.

• Graduation will be Speaker: Erica McKeon-Hanson

• Link to live simulcast is https://youtu.be/h7aw7vnnQGQ

McKeon-Hanson is a Phillips County native, having been born and raised in Malta. She has spent her professional career in education as science faculty at two tribal Colleges at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation’s, Stone Child college and Fort Belknap Indian Reservation’s, Aaniiih Nakoda College, in addition to time as a science teacher at Havre High School.

McKeon-Hanson came to Montana State University-Northern in January 2016 as the project director of the Little River Institute, a federally funded Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions project providing student support and professional development for faculty and staff.

In addition to this role, McKeon-Hanson served as Northern’s public health officer for one year during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and as the co-project investigator of a National Institute of Health and Montana IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence-funded research project at Northern on harmful algal blooms.

She was appointed in 2018 by the Hill County Commission to serve as a Hill County Board of Health member and serves as the board vice chair.

McKeon-Hanson holds a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in chemistry from University of Mary, earned in 1999, is an alum of Northern with a Master of Science in Education in learning development, earned in 2003, and also earned a Master of Public Health degree in 2015 from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

She and her husband, Todd Hanson, reside in Havre and have six daughters and three dogs. She was most recently honored this spring by the Associated Students of Montana State University-Northern with a “Golden N” award in recognition of her devotion and service to the students of Northern.

Second commencement ceremony — 2 p.m. in the Armory Gymnasium

• College of Technical Sciences graduates honored

• Graduates are asked to come to the Registrar’s Office at 1 p.m. to pick up their walk card

• Graduates are asked to line up in the secondnd floor of Cowan Hall

• Gym doors will open at 1:30 p.m.

• Graduation Speaker: Alec Breding

• Link to live simulcast is https://youtu.be/4WLkGFV1txE

Breding is a junior at Montana State University-Northern working on earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in psychology and accounting. He comes to Northern from Conrad and follows in his father’s and his sister’s footsteps in pursuit of a Northern degree.

Breding is one of 10 students to receive a Student Excellence Award for 2021. He exemplifies an admirable commitment to academics and serves as a positive role model both for the people whom he mentors and for students across campus.

He was a resident assistant during his sophomore year at Northern and was soon promoted to resident director. Breding was an invaluable leader and helper during Northern’s initial COVID-19 response. He was personally engaged with almost every student living in the halls after spring break last year and was the primary source of communication between the residence halls and the main campus. In particular, he was instrumental in assisting Student Health, Facility Services and Food Service during that time. He sacrificed holidays with his family and time he could have spent at home to instead stay at Northern and help students living in the residence halls.

As a Student Excellence winner, and an exemplary role-model, Breding rose to the occasion multiple times throughout a year full of uncertainties. He said he hopes to share his experience and insight into how to meet difficult challenges and rise to the occasion as part of his speech to the graduating class of 2021.