Wayne State College will hold commencement ceremonies for graduate and undergraduate students on Saturday, May 10, in the college’s historic Willow Bowl amphitheater.
The graduate student ceremony will be at 10 a.m., and the undergraduate ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the ceremonies will be held in Rice Auditorium.
The ceremonies will be livestreamed at www.wsc.edu/watch-live.
A total of 627 degrees will be conferred by Wayne State President Marysz Rames. Those students receiving their degrees include 495 undergraduates and 132 graduate students. Graduate students are earning their degrees from the college’s Master of Science in Education, Master of Science in Organizational Management, Master of Interdisciplinary Studies, Master of Business Administration, Master’s in Counseling, and Education Specialist programs.
The graduate ceremony will feature an invocation by master’s candidate Gwenn Indira Davelaar of Aruba; Carter “Cap” Peterson, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State College System, will bring greetings from the board; and master’s candidate Kristi Ann Anderson of Wayne will deliver graduation remarks.
The undergraduate ceremony will feature an invocation by bachelor’s candidate Griffin Ryan of Wahoo; Carter “Cap” Peterson, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State College System, will bring greetings from the board; Matt Kneifl, a 2002 graduate of Wayne State, will receive the Alumni Achievement Award; two retiring faculty will be recognized; and Dr. Sean X. Ahern, associate professor of communication arts, will receive the State Nebraska Bank & Trust Teaching Excellence Award and the Nebraska State College System Teaching Excellence Award.
Gwenn Indira Davelaar of Aruba will deliver the invocation. She is graduating with a master of science in education degree in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership.
After graduating from high school, Davelaar moved to the Netherlands to study chemical analysis. However, after completing her first year, she decided to change careers and began pursuing a degree in education with a focus on teaching science.
For the past 10 years, she has been teaching at Colegio Arubano, a high school in Aruba. In addition to her role as a teacher, she has also worked as the exam coordinator at Aruba’s Examination Department, where she was responsible for coordinating the development of science exams and health care exams for the lower vocational education level.
As an educational consultant, Davelaar has had the opportunity to help establish a science curriculum for primary schools in Aruba, contributing to the development of the country’s educational framework.
Kristi Anderson, originally from Plainview, who now lives in Wayne, will deliver the graduate student address. She is graduating with a master’s degree in organizational management with a focus in Information Technology Management. She is the daughter of Gene and Velma Thomsen of Plainview.
Anderson earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Management with a minor in Computer Information Systems from Wayne State in 2009. She was named to Alpha Lambda Delta (first-year student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher) in her freshman year.
Anderson’s activities include 19 years volunteering as a 4-H Certified Leader in Pierce and Wayne Counties, vice chair for the Wayne State College Professional Staff Senate, and she remains active in the Wayne First United Methodist Church.
Anderson’s brother, David Thomsen, is also a Wayne State graduate.
Anderson said her plans after graduation are to, “Grow my career, raise my daughter, continue to learn, and take chances.”
Griffin Ryan of Wahoo will deliver the undergraduate invocation. He is graduating with a bachelor’s degree with majors in Political Science and Business Administration with a concentration in Economics. He is the son of Rika and Steve Ryan of Wahoo.
Ryan was a member of Alpha Lambda Delta in April 2022 (first-year student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher); an FBLA Collegiate National Stock Market Game winner in Fall 2022; a member of Pi Sigma Alpha in April 2024 (Distinguished Political Science student); was named Outstanding Student in Political Science in April 2024; a member of Sigma Beta Delta in April 2024 (Distinguished Business student); and was named to the Dean's List each semester from 2021 through 2025.
His activities at Wayne State included Student Senate, Delta Sigma Pi, Philomatheans President’s Honor Society, Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences, Rural Law Opportunities Program, and Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate.
Ryan plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law beginning in August.
Matt Kneifl of Des Moines, Iowa, will be presented with the Alumni Achievement Award from the Wayne State Foundation. Kneifl earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Finance in 2002 from Wayne State College. In addition to his studies, Kneifl earned Academic All-American honors and became an All-American in the 55m hurdles in 2001, running for the WSC Men's Track and Field Team. He began his career with Edward Jones in 2002 at the home office in St. Louis, Missouri, before assuming the Des Moines Metro financial advisor position in 2004.
Kneifl has been a financial advisor with Edward Jones for more than 20 years. He has earned the Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ (AAMS™) and Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®) designations, as well as the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP®, certification.
Kneifl says he has a passion for helping people make smart decisions about their money to help them achieve what is most important to them. He not only helps clients achieve their goals but has also held numerous leadership and coaching roles with Edward Jones and his local community. Kneifl says these opportunities have helped him implement processes that he uses to understand and meet his clients' needs.
“My team and I use a comprehensive process to help our clients address each of their five key concerns: making smart decisions about their money, mitigating their taxes, taking care of their heirs, making sure their assets are not unjustly taken, and magnifying their charitable gifts,” Kneifl said. “We work with a network of professional advisors to help our clients maximize the probability of achieving everything that is most important to them.”
Kneifl is honored to have been named as one of Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors in Iowa from 2022 to 2024: ranked #10 in 2024; ranked #10 in 2023; and ranked #11 in 2022.
From 2014 to 2023, Kneifl was honored to be invited to the annual Edward Jones Managing Partners Conference, which celebrates the contributions and achievements of the top 400 of the firm's nearly 19,000 financial advisors.
Outside of Edward Jones, Kneifl is married and has one son. He enjoys reading, fitness, traveling, spending time outdoors, and most importantly, spending time with his family.
Honored Retiring Faculty
Dr. Alan Bruflat began his faculty career at Wayne State in July 1990. He earned his Ph.D. in Spanish in 1986 at the University of Kansas, his master’s in Spanish in 1981 at the University of Iowa, and his bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 1979 from Augustana College in South Dakota.
Dr. Bruflat taught courses in Spanish language, Spanish literature, Spanish translation, Spanish for Criminal Justice, and Spanish for health professionals. Bruflat's teaching and research interests include modern and contemporary Spanish poetry, Christian literary scholarship, and Spanish for the professions. He also performs community interpreting and translating.
In addition to his work as a professor of Language and Literature, Bruflat also served as the advisor of Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society, chair of the Language and Literature Department, and interim dean of the School of Arts and Humanities. He served on various committees as a faculty member, including Academic Policy; Rank, Promotion, and Tenure; Graduate Council; General Education; and Assessment.
“The most rewarding things about teaching at WSC were working with the students and attempting to connect Spanish to their career interests,” Bruflat said.
Dr. Kevin Hill began work at Wayne State as a graduate assistant men’s basketball coach in 1990 and became a full-time instructor in 1992. He earned his doctorate of education in 1997 from the University of South Dakota, his master’s degree in Sports Administration in 1992 from Wayne State College, and his bachelor’s degree in 1985 from the University of Northern Iowa.
Dr. Hill primarily taught pedagogy courses in health and physical education and supervised hundreds of student teachers during his tenure at Wayne State. Hill's academic interests include rural health and sport skill instruction, as well as physical and health education.
Hill advanced through the faculty ranks at WSC, serving as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor of Health and Physical Education. During his time as a faculty member, Hill also served as interim director of Education Field Experience, chair of the Health, Human Performance and Sport Department, interim dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences, and dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences. Hill served on various committees as a faculty member, including Faculty Senate, General Education, Scholarships, and Retention. He also served as an assistant softball coach.
“The most rewarding part of my work at WSC has been the relationships formed with students, colleagues, and staff,” Hill said. “All have enriched my life immensely. What was supposed to be a two-year stint as a graduate assistant basketball coach turned into a very rewarding 35-year career.”
