MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State University spring 2015 graduating class will hear from one of the school’s own during commencement.

Thomas Sanchez is the founder and CEO of Social Driver and was named a 2015 Minority Business Leader alongside BET co-founder Shelia Johnson by the Washington Business Journal.  Social Driver was also been celebrated as a “50 on Fire” winner by DCInno in 2013.  Sanchez grew up on a farm in DeKalb County, Mo. and graduated from Northwest in 2002.

“We are excited for spring graduates as they’ll hear from a passionate Bearcat,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “Thomas runs a compelling company driven by values, focused on people and not satisfied with being passengers – they are drivers. This Bearcat spirit is playing out vividly as the company’s growth and multiple successes show how Bearcats connect.”

Social Driver is a company that delivers creative digital and social media solutions for leading companies including Honda, Salesforce.com and Cerner.

Northwest will honor degree recipients of the graduate school and the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth College of Business and Professional Studies during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Degree recipients of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Human Services will be honored during a 2 p.m. ceremony. Both ceremonies are in Bearcat Arena.

More than 940 students are expected to graduate during Northwest’s spring commencement ceremonies. More than 640 students from Northwest’s three colleges will receive bachelor’s degrees while an additional 300 candidates are expected to receive master’s degrees, education specialist degrees or certifications through the University’s graduate school.

Due to the number of graduates, tickets are required for admission to the ceremony. Graduates will receive six tickets. To accommodate guests unable to attend the ceremony, Northwest will offer a live online stream of the ceremony, which will be accessible at www.nwmissouri.edu/live.