Riverside, Calif. (Dec. 11, 2018) – Hundreds of master's degree candidates at California Baptist University have been celebrating achievements this week at hooding ceremonies leading up to commencement ceremonies on Dec. 12.

Approximately 240 master’s degree candidates and nine doctoral candidates are eligible to participate in the fall commencements. At CBU, colleges and schools hold individual hooding ceremonies to recognize their candidates and also give students their distinctive colored hoods to wear at their commencement ceremony. 

The largest group of master’s candidates came from the Bonnie G. Metcalf School of Education with 36 candidates. CBU also had a large number of candidates from the Online and Professional Studies, which had 126 master candidates and nine doctoral candidates for graduation throughout its various programs.

Dr. Angela Deulen, associate professor of psychology, spoke at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences hooding ceremony held on Dec. 11. She encouraged the graduates to focus on eternity and reconciliation in their careers, referencing II Corinthians 4:18 and 5:18-21.  

“If you’re doing this work in light of eternity, you will approach your work in light of reconciliation, because relationships have eternal value,” Deulen said. “If you live and work with your eyes set on the things that are unseen, you will not be disappointed.”

Lea Annette Harris, who earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Ministry, received her gold hood at the ceremony. She said the program challenged her to think more theologically.

“[The program] is unique in its field in that it focuses on the integration of theology and psychology, helping believers as Christian therapists,” Harris said.

Andrea Howell, who earned her Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, said the program taught her about empathy and the counseling profession.

“Everybody has a story and you can’t judge because everybody has some sort of story that got them to where they are now,” Howell said.