It wasn't a Sonics game or a concert that lit up Key Arena last Saturday, it was 650 twinkling pen lights held by this year's graduates. The lights, which symbolized the transfer of knowledge from the faculty to the graduates, made the arena glow with promise. Students from North America and China came together to participate in the 32nd annual City University of Seattle Commencement. More than 30 students from China traveled thousands of miles with their families to the ceremony, as did graduates from our education program in Hawaii. It was truly a great example of the diversity of our students.

Commencement speaker James Donaldson offered lessons learned from his career in professional sports. Afterwards he joined me, our student speaker Nancy Rawles, and our CityU faculty as we formed an honor roll during the recessional to congratulate the graduates as they exited the arena.

The Seattle Commencement was an inspirational kick-off to this season of ushering our worldwide graduates forward to the opportunities that await them. Next stop: Bratislava.

I have made brief stop in Lucern, Switzerland to meet with our newest CityU of Seattle partner. We had a traditional wiener schnitzel lunch in a restaurant where our eighty-year old waitress had served for the past fifty years. Tradition matters here, but technology is the key for the next generation. Our newest programs will offer a four year baccalaureate degree to students who have just completed two years of technical studies with our partner institution. We anticipate offering CityU of Seattle students worldwide the opportunity to pursue some or all of their studies in Switzerland with the magnificent Alps as your scenic background.

Severe thunderstorms Thursday delayed my next flight into Bratislava and the hotel canceled my reservation. It all worked out well and on Friday I met the with our Slovakian partners, VSM. Their passion and commitment to our partnership which began in 1992, remains strong today. That same evening we held the traditional dinner celebration prior to the Commencement ceremony. Rector Licardus brought us up-to-date on VSM's recent accomplishments.

A second thunder storm complete with hail and high winds swept through the area but it brought a welcome relief to the heat.

In the morning the 250 Slovakian graduates packed the Commencement auditorium along with their 1100 family members and friends. Brightly colored bouquets of flowers welcomed them with a celebration of their academic accomplishments.

I am now traveling on to Sofia, Bulgaria for a Sunday morning Commencement in the town of Pravetz just a short drive outside of the city.

Nestled in the green rolling hills an hour's drive from Sofia lies the town of Pravetz, home of CityU of Seattle in Bulgaria. Our campus is part of a large plaza and we arrived to the sounds of a marching band. Twenty baton twirlers are practicing to lead the procession of graduates from campus to the nearby auditorium for Commencement.

The sky is turquoise and the temperature is climbing, with spirits just as high. The stage banners billow with the large letters of CityU of Seattle. Our Commencement proceeds flawlessly, followed by a reception for the graduates' friends and families. Bulgaria now has one hundred new college graduates moving out to take their place in the world of business.

I will be off again on Tuesday, where I travel to Athens, Greece, and our final Commencement ceremony.

I am in Greece for our CityU of Seattle Commencement being held at the oldest preparatory school in the country, the College of Athens. The evening temperature is sweltering at 116 degrees. The enthusiastic gathering includes eighty-five graduates and three hundred of their closest family members and friends.

We are very fortunate to have an air-conditioned auditorium, where our speakers, including me, keep our inspirational remarks as short as possible. Following the ceremony we adjourn to a magnificent reception inside an open Plaza. I mingle with graduates, their families, our faculty, and two of our newest prospective Greek partners.

Following the reception, I join several of our colleagues from Mexico and Prague to dine in the late evening. The illuminated Acropolis of Athens serves as our backdrop. After some meetings with CityU partners and the U.S. Embassy over the next few days, I plan to take several days to cruise these enchanting Greek Islands.

I hope you have enjoyed this peek at the 2007 CityU of Seattle commencement ceremonies, and that someday each of you gets the opportunity to travel to these CityU locations and see them for yourselves. From Athens, Greece I am signing off until next year.

City University of Seattle is pleased to announce that community activist and N.B.A. All-Star James Donaldson will be the keynote speaker for its 2007 commencement ceremony that will be held Saturday, June 16, 1:00 p.m. at Key Arena in Seattle, WA.

Donaldson established The Donaldson Clinic in January 1990 (shortly after a career threatening knee injury) with the idea that he would eventually become a physical therapist. In 2000 Donaldson retired from basketball and now devotes the majority of his time to various community activities and to the day-to-day operations of The Donaldson Fitness & Physical Therapy Clinics, which are located in Mill Creek, Tacoma, Seattle, and Mukilteo, WA.

City University of Seattle is proudly celebrating it's 15th year in Slovakia, and is pleased to a have a special CU Alumni speaker at the 2007 commencement. Jana Slizikova graduated from City University’s Brtislava MBA program in 2005 after receiving her BSBA from City U in 2003. She is a great example of a City University student. Working while taking classes at City University, Jana reach her goal of earning an MBA. She is currently employed at Hewlett-Packard Slovakia, as a Quality Manager and Service Excellence Global Delivery Centre Site Lead.

Grigor Dimitrov is an alumni of City University of Seatte where he earned his MBA. He is currently the Director Human Resources and Administration at Sofiyska Voda AD. Sofiyska Voda AD provides water and wastewater services to a population of about 1.5 million people. More than 1,000 people work for the company. At Sofiyska Voda AD since 2003, George has been working in the field of HR at the senior management level since 1998.