Recent graduates are entering a tough economic time for the nation, and senior class president Katelynn Krahn, from Chicago, offered some comfort to the graduates and touched on these fears.

The “recession is reality,” Ms. Krahn said. “But we can control our perception” of that reality.

Ms. Krahn said that with their liberal arts education from St. Ambrose comes a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. Regardless of the recession, she and the graduates should “claim our future...(and) claim our success.”

Robert Lane, cChairman and CEO of Deere and Company, delivered the commencement address and agreed with Ms. Krahn's take on the recession.

“Be assured that the benefits of a liberal arts education are never wasted,” Mr. Lane said, offering that the graduates have learned valuable skills and lessons that will help them no matter where they go.

Mr. Lane told graduates that no matter a person's chosen profession, fulfillment in life is achieved by helping others. Life is a calling of service to others, and caring for others, he said.

Mr. Lane said he might be a chairman and CEO of Deere, but his title hasn't stopped him from trying to shake the hands of every employee and customer of the company, from the “janitors to the large land owner in Brazil” buying a combine, he said.

“We were all created in God's image,” and with that image comes dignity that everyone was individually born with, regardless of their walk of life, he said, encouraging the graduates to give back to the community in the future.

'The giving of oneself is more than a responsibility,” he said, “it's a privilege.”

St. Ambrose University candidates for graduation

Bachelor's degrees:

Aledo -- Erica Pence.

Alpha -- **Daniel Norberg.

Annawan -- Drew Ahlgren, ***Katie Sleaford.

Bettendorf -- Sandra Andrews, **Amanda Bertroche, *Charity Brinkley, *Krystal-Lyn Burger, Zachariah Campbell, Rachel Cole, Tammy Connelly, Patrick Conrad, Katherine Creen, **Michelle Egts, Crystal Emmer, ***Kristin Koch, *Rachel Lawrence, Todd Mahoney, **Kyle Merten, *Stephen Moeller, Nicholas Myers, Nicholas Palczynski, Jacob Peterson, Jennifer Petra, Sarah Pingilley, Shannan Retter, Sean Rizzo, Daniel Schmidt, Patricia Selby, Samantha Smith, Sarahjayne Snow, Dustin Snyder, Joseph Urmy, Robert Wakeland, Ryan Westwood, *Mallory Williams, ***Cayleah Willits.

Blue Grass -- Donovan Farrell, *Joshua Freeman, Steven Mueller, Tammy Nodarse.

Buffalo -- ***Amanda Hansen.

Cambridge -- Rachel Whitford.

Carbon Cliff -- **Scott Passman.

Coal Valley -- *Christopher Pikuza, Shane Shemek.

Colona -- *Linda Schroeder.

Davenport -- Jessica Akers, Garrett Alderson, *Gregory Bauer, *Kevin Bell, Mark Blough, Laryn Bolinger, Anthony Boyd, Leo Broughton, Eric Brundies, Angela Brunt, Angela Bryant, Donovan Buchanan, Brian Byer, Jacqueline Carlson, David Ceurvorst, Jenna Clark, Zachary Cleve, *Nicholas Colwell, Blake Connolly, Lauren Connolly, Amanda Crino, *Elizabeth Croegaert, Thomas Daly, ***Jessica Denney, Nicholas Edwards, Sarah Field, Tara Foit, Jill Foster, Jennifer Francour, Stephanie Fuller, Kate Gardner, Brent Garrow II, *Michael Giudici, Kevin Greer, Amy Hamby, *Rex Hammond, Matthew Hennes, Natalie Hernandez, *Ryan Hill, John Holt, Taylor Hull, *Kelly Jansen, Dustin Johnson, Abbey Johnston, **Elizabeth Kabel, **Annahita Kalantari, Jake Kent, David Lawson, *Nirmala Lekhak, Amber Levetzow, Taylor Lorenz, Nikki Lung, **Lena Marxen, Teri Matheason, **Rachel Mayer, Eric McDanel, Andrea McDowell, Christina Mendoza, *Andrea Metzger, ***Emily Monahan, KayLynn Morrow, **Juvenalis Ndaula, Edward Owens III, Dominic Pham, Kimberly Pierce, Sara Pierce, *Michael Prior, Lindsay Reichard, ***Amber Rodriguez, Daniel Rowe, Megan Rucker, Elizabeth Sallak, Krystina Schmitt, Cathleen Seaman, ***Mary Shook, *Derrick Siefers, **Cali Smith, Rachel Smith, Megan Sones, Christopher Steele, Amanda Stockdale, Sarah Tigges, ***Amy Trosen, **Anna Turner-Scott, ***David Vandecar, Fadi Wakim, ***Kelsey Ward, Marie Wilson, Sarah Witt, Rebecca Witte, Joseph Wonio, Casey Woosley.

Dixon -- *Brittany Hoffmann.

Durant -- Kyle Costello, Cale Hermiston.

East Moline -- Matthew Anderson, *Alexandra Doerfer, *Megan Heller, *Corinne Lampe, Daniel Russell, Jacqulyn Selhost.

Eldridge -- *Heather Easley, Nicole Engler, Marie Mueller, Janiece Rakers, Kyle Schroeder, Monica Schroeder.

Fulton -- Nicole Lindstrom.

Galva -- Tyler Bates.

Geneseo -- Johnna Kincaid, Jennifer Ludwig, *Amber Reiling, *Carly Shannon.

Hampton -- James VanDieren.

Illinois City -- Tara Bieri.

Kewanee -- **Christina Drawyer.

LeClaire -- *Janet Hudson, Kristen LoVell-Wendell.

Lynn Center -- **Mark Lindquist.

Milan -- Michelle Dusch, **Amanda Hamerlinck, Tom Jones, *Paige Teager, Dara Widdop, Drew Widdop.

Moline -- John Appleman, April Bequeaith, Jessica Boyer, Danielle Brandt, Claudia Castellanos, Dylan Cross, Elisabeth Demarest, **Tobie Doy, Matthew Grenier, Kathryn Hanske, Jamie Hopkins, Hannah Klepsteen, Rodney McCraw, **Christopher Oberg, Hannah Radosevich, ***Stephanie Reagan, **Joshua Stoudt, ***Ryan Taylor, *Brandy Jo Thompson, Sarah Wadsworth, *Benjamin Weyer, **Kyle Wood.

Monmouth -- Bobbi Sue Prochazka.

Morrison -- Cassie Hanson, Zachary Schuler.

New Windsor -- Vivian Force, **Leah Leatherman.

Orion -- **Kayla Anderson, Henry Belshause.

Port Byron -- Kimberly Cartwright, *Toby Cewe, Sarah Ford, Emily Smith.

Prophetstown -- Emily Majeski, ***Andrew Mosher.

Rock Island -- Sophia Alvarez, *Scott Berg, Cynthia Bryson, Sara Dempsey, Ben DeRoo, Sarah Deroo, Jared Kannenberg, Elizabeth Lootens, Megan Marlier, Mattie Martin, Abigayle Parsons, Keri Shelton, *Megan Sherlock, Marcus Simpao, *Justin Teeter.

Silvis -- Joshua Miller.

Taylor Ridge -- Jacquie Coulter, Nicole Happ, Angela Ode.

Walcott -- David Brus, *Kayla Matzen, Carissa McKinley.

Master's degrees:

Bettendorf -- Janice Cleppe, Joseph Cravero, Michael Harrison, Christina Lundy, Monique McDonald, Nancy Medema, Tessy Meenan, Timothy Pass.

Blue Grass -- Kimberly Talken.

Cambridge -- Troy VanHyfte.

Coal Valley -- Katherine Schaumburg.

Davenport -- Bradley Blanchard, Patrick Carlin, Lance Corber, Jean Dutton, Zachary Ebener, Michelle Edenborg, Marvin Elmore, Lauren Gehbauer, Michael Gindl, Kristi Hansen, Stephanie Hoover, Kristen Horrie, Jeremiah Kaiser, Bryan Kammer, Erin Loy, Dawn Luna, Elizabeth Maus, Sarah Newman, James Odean, James Patten, Jennifer Paul, Nancy Schnoor, Fr. Simon Taabu, Mandy Teal-Kilmer, Robert Wamer.

Dixon -- Jon Mayer.

Durant -- Michelle Timmerman.

East Moline -- Nicole Lemmon, Christopher Schneider, Ryan Segura, Jeremy Strickland, Snezana Todorovic.

Eldridge -- Tara Henry, Stephanie Martin, Dianne Ruffner, Jason Tkatch, Amanda Wilford, Christine Yaddof.

Erie -- Lindsay Newman.

Fulton -- Marla Voss.

Galva -- Sheila Cromien.

Geneseo -- Heather Kaloupek.

Le Claire -- Eric Hoover.

Long Grove -- Verne Christopherson.

Milan -- Melinda Brown.

Moline -- Vanessa Allardyce, Efstathia Fragogiannis, John Hammar, Steve Reece, Joshua Sherrod, Seferino Terronez.

Monmouth -- Timothy Gray.

Orion -- Kayleigh Zurcher.

Port Byron -- Breanne Clark.

Rock Island -- Bradley Cook, Joanna Davis, Jacqueline Diediker, Erica Lee, Charles Niwagaba, Carrie Patterson.

Sherrard -- David Anderson.

Silvis -- Matthew Cortez.

Doctoral degrees:

Davenport -- Sarah Anderson, Gordon McLeland.

*cum laude

**magna cum laude

***summa cum laude