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Happenings in the Keweenaw Peninsula April 30, 2005   Text © 2005 Finlandia University. Reprinted with permission.

Finnish Ambassador to speak at Finlandia University graduation May 1

HANCOCK -- His Excellency Jukka Valtasaari, Ambassador of Finland in Washington, D.C., will deliver the commencement address at the Finlandia University 2005 Spring Commencement exercises, beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, in the Paavo Nurmi Athletic Center gymnasium. Finlandia University will confer an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Ambassador Valtasaari, who has held several posts in the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, the ministry's highest non-elected office. He writes and speaks frequently on topics related to foreign policy and trade.

The Reverend Antti Lepisto, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Finnish (Suomi) Special Interest Conference since 1996, will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Pastor Lepisto's leadership in the ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod special interest conference has led to the re-opening of the original 32 Lutheran congregations in Russia -- closed during Stalin's regime -- and has spurred the birth of 40 additional Lutheran congregations in Russia. For more than 30 years, Pastor Lepisto served congregations in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. His father, also Antti Lepistö, served as president of Suomi College in the mid-1920s.

Pastor Lepisto will deliver the sermon at the 2005 Baccalaureate Worship Service at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 30, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock.

Finlandia University will award diplomas to 91 graduation candidates. Degrees being conferred on Finlandia's Class of 2005 are: 32 Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees; 10 Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degrees; 7 Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees; 40 Associate in Applied Science degrees; and 2 Associate in General Studies (AGS) degrees.

For additional information, please contact Dean of Faculty Carol Bates at 906-487-7258.

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