By Communications staff, College of Arts and Sciences
Grace Wierenga, an Honors College student majoring in music education, has been selected as the 2025 Fall Commencement Gonfalon Bearer for the College of Arts and Sciences.
A graduating senior from Lake Forest Park, Wierenga has been a CAS Student Ambassador for three years and served as a student officer for the past two years. She also served as a Drum Major in the Cougar Marching Band during the 2024-2025 academic year.
“Grace is a dedicated and disciplined student, and a great leader,” said Arlene Parkey, CAS director of recruitment and retention. “She is an exceptional example of the fine students who attend WSU.”
Wierenga will spend the spring semester as a student teacher, fulfilling the last requirements of her degree. After her student teaching internship, Wierenga hopes to be hired as a music instructor in either middle or high school.
Wierenga credits her flute professor Sophia Tegart for her mentorship throughout her collegiate studies. “Dr. Tegart has been one of my biggest supporters and pushes her students to grow and excel while also being very proud of us,” she said.
Her favorite memories of WSU include traveling to the Holiday Bowl and participating in the Battle of the Bands with Syracuse University. “It was so powerful to be surrounded by WSU alumni, even though we were in San Diego,” Wierenga recalled. “It was a crazy community moment, and just really cool to see the Coug network in the wider world and realize that I get to do that as an alumni myself.”
As she reflected on her time at WSU, Wierenga offered some advice to incoming undergraduates. “It’s so cheesy, but get involved with campus activities,” she said. “The CAS Student Ambassadors really helped shape me into the person I am today. It gave me a lot of opportunities to build my interpersonal and public speaking skills, and it’s great to get to know people outside of your major.”
Congratulations again to Grace Wierenga, the Fall 2025 CAS Gonfalon Bearer, and all graduating Cougars!