BYU-Idaho to hold summer graduation, member of the Seventy to speak

Nearly 800 Brigham Young University-Idaho students will receive diplomas at summer commencement exercises to be held Wednesday, July 18 at 5:00 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will be the featured speaker at the commencement services.

Tickets are required to attend commencement in the Hart Auditorium. Individual college convocations will be held at 7:00 p.m. the same evening at locations across campus and tickets are not required to attend. A complete listing of convocations and other graduation events is available here.

A total of 779 students will receive diplomas at July commencement. Of those, 331 are males and 448 are females.  The university will award 699 bachelor's degrees and 81 associate degrees. 

About half the graduates, 365, are married, and 360 have served as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The youngest graduate, Marissa Anne Campbell, 19, will receive an associate degree. The oldest graduate, Marlee Jean Baldree, 61, will receive a bachelor's degree.

Elder Rasband was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 2000. He has served as a counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency, president of the Utah Salt Lake City Area, and executive director of the Church's Temple Department. Elder Rasband currently serves as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy and as Area Supervisor for the North America West and North America Northwest Areas.

Before becoming a General Authority, Elder Rasband served in a variety of callings, including president of the New York New York North Mission, bishop, branch president, elders' quorum president, and full-time missionary in the Eastern States Mission.