Cybersecurity student JoLynn Hallmark has a job waiting for her when she graduates Saturday from Southeast Missouri State University.

Hallmark said graduating in December may have helped her land a job with an information-technology company in St. Louis.

“I did have two job offers,” she said.

Hallmark, who will begin her job in January, said she learned during an internship companies often look to fill positions at the beginning of the year.

“I think it is kind of nice to graduate and then have Christmas break,” said Hallmark, who will graduate summa cum laude.

She is one of seven students who will graduate with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

Hallmark, who grew up in Oklahoma City, said she will graduate after 3 1/2 years of classes.

When she first enrolled at Southeast, Hallmark said she never thought of graduating early. She said she simply ran out of classes to take for her major. In addition, she acknowledged there is a cost savings to not having to take another semester of courses.

Southeast held its first winter commencement in January 1972 in Houck Field House, with 295 students receiving degrees. Winter commencement now is held each December.

Hallmark is one of 781 students — 632 undergraduates and 149 master’s degree and specialist candidates — who will receive their degrees at winter commencement Saturday. The ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Show Me Center.

Southeast economics professor Willie Redmond, a faculty associate in the office of the provost and lead instructor of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, will deliver the commencement address.

Before commencement, 180 academically talented students will be recognized at an honors convocation. The convocation will be at 10:30 a.m. in the Show Me Center. Dana Schwieger, professor of management information systems in the department of accounting, will address the students.

Thirty-two students will graduate summa cum laude with a 3.9 to 4.0 cumulative GPA; 52 will graduate magna cum laude with a 3.75 to 3.89 GPA and 82 will graduate cum laude with a 3.5 to 3.74 GPA.

Thirteen students will be recognized for completing an honors program, and one student will graduate with honors in an associate-degree program.

Saturday’s commencement will mark the largest number of undergraduate and graduate degrees to be awarded in the winter ceremony in the past decade, school officials said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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