Next Tuesday, 1,402 students are expected to receive their degrees during the spring commencement ceremony at the Colorado Convention Center each graduate has followed a unique path to reach this point:

Campus computer whiz plans life in priesthood

While most on campus who know Brandon Smith would have predicted a lucrative career in information technology, the 20-year-old is instead choosing a different path: He plans to enter the Roman Catholic seminary to become a priest.

That's been his plan all along. "Ever since my freshman year of high school, it's been my calling to enter the priesthood," says Smith, a graduate of Douglas County High School who majored in philosophy and minored in computer science.

As it turns out, Smith's work with computers comes from the urging of his parents, who wanted him to have a marketable skill.

"I was never really drawn to IT in the first place," he said. "It was something I did to have a backup plan. A lot of my friends were very skilled in computers so I thought it would be something good to get into."

But as far as entering the priesthood, his friends have had little sway. "They think I'm nuts, but at the same time they respect my choice and have been very supportive."

At Metro, he has been an integral part of the Student Activities office, writing groundbreaking software that allows for live Web-based chats. Named MICE (Metro Internet Chat Event), there is currently no software like MICE on the market. He's also president of the Mac Users Group.

"Metro has been a terrific school," he said. "I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful situation."

As he prepares for the next phase of his life, Smith is equally positive.

"The church needs good men for the priesthood, and I am going to do my best to be a good man."

Mother and son to graduate together

Kathy Kupetz always intended to go to college. But life events kept interfering. She married young and then became pregnant. Soon, she was raising two children. Then her husband died. Finally, in 2000, the time was right, and Kupetz found herself not only in college but also on the same campus as her son, Zachary.

Tuesday in front of family and friends, mother and son will graduate together.

"It's been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially for someone my age," the 48-year-old said. The political science major will graduate cum laude with a 3.92 grade-point average. She has loved being in college at the same time as her son and even took two classes with him, including a sociology class in human sexuality.

"It was a blast," Kathy says of the class.

"It was definitely pretty entertaining," adds son Zach, a 23-year-old marketing major who had a 3.0 or higher grade-point average during his time at Metro. "We made jokes about it at first, but my mom and I have a really good relationship so it was really not a problem."

As they both prepare to enter the next stage of their lives, their plans sound fairly typical of recent graduates.

"I have no idea what I'll do next," she says. "I plan to look for a job, and it has to be something that requires a degree. That's why I went back to school."

Zach, who has worked full-time at Home Depot while earning his degree, plans to continue working over the summer and then spend the fall traveling through Europe. "I am just ecstatic to be done."

'Old hippie' drives from Winter Park to earn degree

Connie Dicks, 52, is a mom, grandmom, office manager, social activist and a soon-to-be Metro State graduate. The self-described "old hippie" will graduate this spring with an Individualized Degree Plan (IDP) in human rights.

"I was a little scared when I first went back to school," Dicks said. "But I had the best experience at Metro. It's an incredible school with incredible teachers, everyone really wants to help students achieve."

Two to three days each week, Dicks drove the hour-and-a-half route from her home and full-time job in Winter Park to Metro. The IDP program, which allowed her to design a degree that reflected her many interests, was one of the reasons she chose to pursue her degree here.

Dicks has contributed her energies to many causes over the years, including child refugee resettlement, English-as-a-Second-Language programs and the foster care system.

This fall, Dicks plans on attending law school. She hopes to specialize in public affairs and work in public service. "I want to make sure the world is a safe place for my grandkids," she said.