BYU-Hawaii's upcoming June 2004 commencement ceremony on June 19 will honor the largest graduating class in school history and will also include the largest number of international students.
The climbing number of graduating international students directly reflects the university's mission of increasing the overall international student body.
Approximately 400 BYU-Hawaii students from 37 countries will don black and silver graduation gowns and caps on Saturday culminating four years of rigorous academic study and classroom instruction. 400 graduating seniors marks a new high for a June commencement topping last June's total of 345 graduates and seven more representing countries were added from last year's mark of 30.
The 149 expected international graduates is over a 50 percent rise from the 94 that walked last June. In countries other than the U.S., Japan will have the highest number of graduates at 20 with South Korea following at 14. The Philippines are close behind with 11 and Fiji and New Zealand will both have ten graduating seniors respectively.
Countries with lone graduating representatives include Malaysia, France, Ghana, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Jamaica, Cambodia, Indonesia, Marshall Islands, Czech Republic, Panama, Spain, Sri Lanka, Australia, Switzerland and Vietnam.
Of the 251 graduates from the U.S. representing 28 states, graduates from the Hawaiian Islands will account for fifteen percent (58 graduates) of that figure.
lder L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will address the graduates as the keynote speaker. The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. in the Cannon Activities Center on campus.