Chadron State College Honors Graduates at Spring Commencement

Chadron State College conducted its Spring Commencement on May 9, 2026, at the Chicoine Center, recognizing a group of graduates that included recipients of a newly implemented associate degree designed for adult learners.

The combined ceremony, which began at 10 a.m., honored 188 candidates for bachelor’s degrees and 52 candidates for master’s degrees. The event also recognized one specialist degree candidate and 29 recipients of the Associate of General Studies degree.

The introduction of the Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree is a result of the college’s participation in ReEngage Nebraska. This grant-funded initiative is specifically designed to reconnect adult learners who had previously paused their education, providing them with a supportive pathway to return to college and pursue a degree.

To enable the awarding of this qualification, the Nebraska State College System received formal approval from the Coordinating Commission Post-Secondary Education to grant the AGS degree to eligible students.

The geographic distribution of the Associate of General Studies recipients indicates the program’s regional reach across several states. Within Nebraska, recipients hailed from Alliance, Chadron, Crawford, Hay Springs, Lakeside, North Platte, Pierce, Scottsbluff, Trenton, and Wauneta.

The program also attracted students from South Dakota, with graduates from Hot Springs, Interior, Martin, Philip, and Viborg. Recipients included students from Arkansas and Colorado.

The commencement speaker was Shawn Banzhaf, a Chadron native who serves as the Executive Director of the Pat Tillman Veterans Center at Arizona State University. Banzhaf entered the director role in 2022 after previously serving as a military advocate and volunteer.

In his professional capacity at Arizona State University, Banzhaf manages a team of 20 staff members and more than 70 Veterans Administration work study employees. This team provides support services to a population of more than 20,000 military-connected learners.

The college applied specific grade point average (GPA) standards to designate honor graduates during the ceremony. The designations were categorized as follows:

• Summa cum laude: 3.9-4.0 GPA
• Magna cum laude: 3.75-3.89 GPA
• Cum laude: 3.6-3.74 GPA

The ceremony was made available for viewing online to accommodate those unable to attend the physical proceedings at the Chicoine Center.