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Sunday, April 27, 2003

By Bill Schackner, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Her parents, both Nigerian immigrants, named their daughter "Courage" as a reminder that it takes such an attribute to succeed in a new country.

Courage Otaigbe got the message -- quickly.

A month past her 19th birthday, a time when many her age are just settling into undergraduate life, Otaigbe is preparing to receive a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and has her eye on law school.

Otaigbe took her first college course at age 13 and finished most of her undergraduate studies while still a high school student in Virginia. She will be among those receiving degrees today during Pitt's first on-campus commencement since 1968.

About 12,000 faculty, staff and graduating students are expected to fill the Petersen Events Center arena for the 1 p.m. ceremony and hear former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill deliver the commencement address.

As a high school student in Woodbridge, Va., Otaigbe took extra courses during the school year and in the summer. Two years ago, at 17, she received both a high school diploma and a bachelor of science degree in computer information systems from Strayer University, where her father, Michael, is dean of the Woodbridge campus.

"At times, it was overwhelming," she said, reflecting on the extra hours studying while still in high school. "I think I just really honed my time management skills and that got me through it."

She got an unusual form of financial help from her father, who felt it was more important to crack the books than work a minimum-wage job.

"I wanted to get a part-time job in high school. Instead of doing that he would pay me however much I would have gotten from a regular job for taking college classes," she said.

So as her peers hustled for restaurant tips or worked on department store sales, she was pulling down $5.50 an hour from her father.

Living at home while attending Strayer lessened the feeling of isolation she might have from her classmates being substantially older.

"I was lucky because I was still able to be around people my age even while doing this," she said. "Miraculously, I still had time to do stuff. I still had time to run track."

Pitt awarded Otaigbe a full scholarship to its master in information science program in the School of Information Sciences. Today, her father as well as her mother, Patience, a nurse, will be in the crowd as she adds another academic credential to her growing list.

She is weighing law schools, including at the University of Pennsylvania. And she's even thinking about earning an MBA at some point.

Her plans for the coming days?

"Take a break," she said. "Enjoy the summer."

This is the schedule of spring graduations at the region's colleges and universities, listed alphabetically. Ceremonies are on campus unless otherwise noted.

Allegheny College
Graduation: 10 a.m. May 11
Speakers: Robert D. Dowling, associate professor of surgery at the University of Louisville school of medicine and an Allegheny alumnus

Bethany College
Graduation: 10 a.m. May 17
Speaker: Richard Ekman, president of the Council of Independent Colleges in Washington, D.C.

California University of Pennsylvania
Graduation: 10 a.m. May 10
Speaker: None

Carlow College
Graduation: 10:30 a.m. May 10, Baccalaureate Liturgy St. Paul Cathedral, Oakland
Speaker: To be announced

Carnegie Mellon University
Graduation: 11 a.m. May 18
Speaker: Teresa Heinz

Chatham College
Graduation: 10 a.m. May 18
Speakers: Kathie Olsen, associate director for science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House; Elaine Scarry, professor of English and literature and The Walter M. Cabot Professor of Aesthetics and General Theory of Value, Harvard University

Clarion University
Graduation: 10 a.m., 2 p.m. May 17
Speaker: F. Eugene Dixon Jr., chairman emeritus of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education's Board of Governors

Duquesne University
Graduation: Friday, Saturday, May 17
Speakers: A varied list, including Loretta Claiborne, Special Olympics athlete and Global Messenger

Edinboro University
Graduation: 1 p.m., May 10
Speaker: Robert P. Rhodes, professor emeritus of political science

Franciscan University of Steubenville
Graduation: 9 a.m. May 10 for graduate students; 11:30 a.m. May 10 for undergraduates.
Speaker: The Rev. Donald W. Wuerl, bishop of Pittsburgh

Geneva College
Graduation: 10 a.m. May 17
Speaker: G. Reynolds Clark, vice chancellor for community and governmental relations, University of Pittsburgh

Grove City College
Graduation: 10:30 a.m., May 17
Speaker: Dick Thornburgh, former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. attorney general

Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Graduation: 10:15 a.m., May 10.
Speaker: Tom Squitieri, foreign correspondent, USA Today

La Roche College
Graduation: 10 a.m. May 10
Speaker: Actor Danny Aiello

Mount Aloysius College
Graduation: 1:30 p.m. May 10
Speaker: Sister Mary Roch Rocklage, immediate past chairwoman of the Board of the American Hospital Association

Penn State University, University Park
Graduation: May 16, 17
Speakers: A varied list, including Glen H. Elder Jr., professor of sociology and research professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-director of the Carolina Consortium on Human Development

Penn State Beaver
Graduation: 7 p.m. May 16
Speaker: State Rep. Michael R. Veon, D-Beaver Falls

Penn State Fayette
Graduation: 10:30 a.m. May 17
Speaker: Penn State University Dean of the Commonwealth College, Dianne Disney

Penn State McKeesport
Graduation: 11 a.m. May 17, First Evangelical Free Church, adjacent to the campus
Speaker: Gregory R. Weber, president and chief executive officer of Consolidated Rail Corp.

Penn State New Kensington
Graduation: 10 a .m. May 17
Speaker: Linda Dickerson, principal in Dickerson & Mangus Ink., an issues consulting firm

Penn State Shenango
Graduation: 7:30 p.m.. May 16
Speaker: George H. Allen, deputy commander, Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia

Point Park College
Graduation: 10 a.m. Saturday, PPG Place
Speaker: Kishore K. Gopaul, vice chairman and managing partner of Courvoisier & Associates of Geneva, Switzerland

Robert Morris University
Graduation: 11 a.m. May 10
Speaker: Joseph M. Hogan, president and chief executive officer, GE Medical Systems

St. Francis University
Graduation: 1 p.m. May 11
Speaker: Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

Saint Vincent College
Graduation: 2 p.m. May 10
Speaker: James Ragan, director of the graduate professional writing program at the University of Southern California

Seton Hill University
Graduation: 11 a.m. May 10
Speaker: Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine. He replaces the originally scheduled speaker, the late Fred Rogers.

Slippery Rock University
Graduation: 11 a.m. May 10.
Speaker: Clara Settlemier, professor emeritus of history

Thiel College
Graduation: 2.p.m. May 10
Speaker: Carol Costello, anchor of "CNN Daybreak"

University of Pittsburgh, main campus
Graduation: 1 p.m. today
Speaker: Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
Graduation: 2 p.m. today.
Speaker: John Douglass, former chief of the FBI Investigative Support Unit

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Graduation: 2 p.m. Saturday
Speaker: James Fallon, editor of Women's Wear Daily

Washington and Jefferson College
Graduation: 2 p.m. May 17
Speaker: Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's "Hardball"

Waynesburg College
Graduation: 2:30 p.m. May 11
Speaker: To be announced

Westminster College
Graduation: 2 p.m. May 17
Speakers: Bill Strickland, president and chief executive officer of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild; S. Donald Wiley, retired senior vice president of H.J. Heinz Co.; and J. Fred Rentz, retired president and publisher of the News Co. of New Castle

West Virginia University
Graduation: 1:30 p.m. May 18
Speaker: U.S. Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va.

Wheeling Jesuit University
Graduation: 10:30 a.m. May 17
Speaker: Cynthia L. Rank, who has worked for 30 years to clean up water pollution in southern West Virginia