The end of the semester holds new beginnings for the class of 2012

With graduation right around the corner, CU’s class of 2012 will soon walk across the stage, receive their hard-earned diplomas and start their new lives.

The spring 2012 commencement ceremony will take place in Folsom Stadium on Friday, May 11 at 8:30 a.m., and the guest speaker for the graduates will be Timothy V. Wolf, President of Wolf Interests, Inc.

Wolf established the investment entity Wolf Interests, Inc. after retiring from his position as Chief Integration Officer of MillerCoors Brewing Company in 2010 and is recognized for merging the two companies and yielding $500 million of cost reduction synergies.

(CU Independent/Josh Shettler)

A 1974 graduate of Harvard College, Wolf received a BA in economics as well as a MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1976. Before working for the $10 billion merger MillerCoors, Wolf was Chief Financial Officer of Coors Brewing Company from 1995 to 2005 and has also held high financial positions at PepsiCo, Walt Disney Company and Euro Disney.

Wolf currently serves on the Leeds School of Business Advisory Board; runs The Wolf Family Foundation, a charity dedicated to early childhood education; serves as Chairman of Boulder-based non-profit organization E-Town, committed to advancing environmental and social justice issues through its national radio program; and has also served on Xcel Energy’s Audit and Nuclear, Environmental, Safety Committees since 2007. He splits time living between Boulder and Glen Arbor, Michigan with his wife and two sons.

Austin Caldera, a 22-year-old senior MCD biology and biochemistry major, said that he wished a more well-known speaker was chosen with a stronger link to CU was chosen for the commencement ceremony.

“The only thing I know about the guest speaker is that he serves on the board of advisers for Leeds,” Caldera said. “Other than that, I don’t see how he has any connection with CU. I’m a little disappointed.”

Looking back on his college experience, Caldera said that his favorite memory in college was going out to the bars for the first time as a 21-year-old.

“My favorite college experience would probably have to be the first time my friends and I all turned 21 and went out to the bars for the first time together,” Caldera said.

Becca Harter, a 21-year-old senior history major, said that she was excited to see the guest speaker and spend time with her friends at the commencement ceremony.

“I’m excited to see the guest speaker, although I don’t know much about him. I mostly just want to be with my friends and enjoy the moment, but I think we are blessed to have a guest speaker at all,” Harter said.

Harter will be attending to CU-Denver in the fall to receive her master’s in inner-city education and said that when she graduates from CU, she will miss her daily routine.

“The thing I’ll miss the most about CU is really just the daily routine of hanging out with people and walking through campus, especially on beautiful days,” Harter said.

Karla Kirby, a 21-year-old senior marketing major, said that she plans to stay busy after graduation by working over the summer and then taking an internship.

“During the summer I’m going to work at the Omni Interlocken Resort [in Broomfield], but after that’s finished, I have an internship at Disney in Orlando; it goes for about six months,” Kirby said.

Kirby’s greatest memories during her time at CU were with the sisters of her sorority.

“My favorite college memory would have to be becoming president of [Alpha Delta Chi],” Kirby said.

Gabbi Gutierrez, a 24-year-old senior architectural engineering major, said that her plans include moving back to Texas after she graduates.

“I mostly just want to enjoy life without the stress of college and move back to Texas,” Gutierrez said. “I’ll figure things out from there. I’m not worried about it.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Bethany Morris at [email protected].