IU hosts online graduates

About 300 new graduates of an online university received their diplomas Saturday at a ceremony in front of the IU Auditorium. \nWalden University, one of many accredited online institutions in a growing distance learning market, held a traditional commencement ceremony that was simultaneously Webcast for the nearly 3,000 graduates who couldn't make it to Bloomington.\nWalden students hail from the United States, the Virgin Islands, Canada, Germany and the United Arab Emirates. While all Walden courses are taught online, there are some residency programs held on IU's Bloomington campus. \n"One of the major challenges in the next decade is preparing scholar practitioners who will affect positive social change in an increasingly multicultural, global society. And Walden is proudly leading the way with our most recent graduates," Paula Peinovich, president and provost of Walden, said in a press release. \nRoberto Ibarra, Walden board member and University of New Mexico sociology professor, gave the commencement address, titled, "Ambassadors of Change," and also received an honorary degree.\nWalden University professors and students both firmly believe that learning takes place both within the classroom and outside its walls. \nAn online education benefits those who are truly motivated to push themselves and devote time to their studies, said graduate Rajesh Pericherla of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He chose Walden for his advanced degree because of the flexibility allowed by the online courses. Pericherla earned his Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Walden while working at IBM. \nGraduate Sara Meineke also worked full-time while furthering her education through Walden. She earned her Master of Science in Education while teaching at a public elementary school in San Antonio. \nThe program and her instructors were "instrumental in motivating us to reach the 'digital natives' -- our students," she said. Meineke will use her newly developed technology skills in her own classroom to prepare her students for life in the digital age. \n"Walden is changing and reframing the deeper context of education, and perhaps society as well," Ibarra said in his address. "Go out and change the world"