What: 37th commencement ceremonies for the University of Illinois at Springfield. Of the 1,292 students eligible to graduate, 715 will participate in the ceremony. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke will deliver the commencement address.
When: 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10, 2008.
Where: Prairie Capital Convention Center, 9th and Adams streets in downtown Springfield.
Details: The doors to the main floor of The Center open at 1 p.m.
Justice Burke has a long and distinguished career as a child advocate and legal professional. In 1968, after working as a physical education teacher of mentally disabled children, she founded the Chicago Special Olympics, which grew to become the International Special Olympics. Later, as Gov. Jim Edgar's Special Counsel for Child Welfare Services, as well as a member of his Legislative Committee on Juvenile Justice, she helped bring about reforms in the state's juvenile justice and child protection systems. She was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court in 2006.
