2023 Commencement and Baccalaureate Ceremony

April 25, 2023

We are excited to celebrate Grand View’s Commencement at Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 2 p.m. This year's commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient is Nabi Mohammadi '21. The Baccalaureate Ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 30 at 10 a.m. at Luther Memorial Church.

Born in rural Afghanistan and the oldest of nine children, Nabi Mohammadi took his father’s advice and learned English, with the hope of one day becoming an interpreter for the U.S. Armed Forces. After passing language and background checks, he was sent to his first Combat Outpost in 2009. His translation skills and work ethic made him an invaluable interpreter and a trusted colleague for several U.S. Army National Guard units, including the Iowa National Guard. His service to the American military put him and his family in danger with the Taliban. Fearing for their safety, Iowa soldiers helped him apply for permission to move to America. After waiting for more than two years, his application was approved and he and his wife moved to Iowa with their baby son in 2013.

Nabi was intent on a better life for his young family and worked two jobs while starting his college education at DMACC and becoming a U.S. citizen in 2019. He transferred to Grand View and graduated in 2021 with a degree in management information systems.

Since moving to the United States, Nabi continues to give back to his Iowa community. He helps newly-arrived Afghan refugees settle in Des Moines, including assisting with getting driving permits and navigating their immigration cases. He has also worked with Des Moines Refugee Support to secure a donation of laptops for newly-immigrated families. Nabi currently works as an IT Analyst at Principal Financial Group and spends his free time coaching soccer for Johnston Urbandale Soccer Club. He and his wife, Sanam, have three children, Arman 10, Sarah 7 and Omar, 6 months. 

Commencement will be broadcast live. More information can be found here.