POWELL, WYOMING – Commencement exercises at Northwest College are scheduled for Saturday, May 9, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in Cabre Gym. The ceremony will be live streamed on the NWC YouTube channel, or viewers can watch directly from the college website at nwc.edu.
This year’s guest speakers include Milo Asay (the 2026 Distinguished Faculty Award winner), Raylee St. Onge Honeycutt (the 2026 Distinguished Alumna), and Lauren Bates (student representative).
Milo Asay has been a member of the faculty for 16 years, serving as Assistant Professor of ESL (English as a Second Language). He’s lived in six different countries on five continents and spent 20 years teaching at universities in Japan and Saudi Arabia before returning home to Wyoming and joining the Humanities Division at Northwest College in 2010. During his time at NWC, Asay started the Japanese language studies program more than a decade ago, has led several student trips to Japan since then, and has also served as coordinator of the popular Writers Series since 2019.
Though he was originally hired for the ESL faculty position, Asay also enjoys teaching literature, poetry, and creative writing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Brigham Young University, and two master’s degrees, one in Intercultural Administration from the School of International Training, and another in English from the University of Wyoming.
Raylee St. Onge Honeycutt is an industry leader in Montana agriculture who currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, the first female to hold that position in the organization’s 140-year history. She has received a Montana Governor’s Award for Excellence, been recognized as a finalist for the Indiana Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture Award, been appointed as a Montana Ambassador, and has led multiple national award-winning marketing campaigns.
A 2003 graduate of the Animal Science program, Honeycutt was an active student at NWC, serving as a representative on the student senate and as a member of the livestock judging team. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education with an emphasis in Public Relations from Montana State University. Honeycutt and her husband, Mike, are the parents of two daughters, Isla and McKenna, and currently reside in Helena, Montana. She’s an engaged member of her community, previously serving on the Greater Helena Community Foundation and volunteering with local nonprofits in her community.
Lauren Bates is graduating with an A.S. in Outdoor Education and Recreation and an A.A. in Political Science. Originally from Lovell, Wyoming, she has been an active participant in campus life over the past two years. Bates is a member of the NWC Outdoor Club and Phi Theta Kappa, has served as a peer mentor with TRIO, and has recently taken on the role of resident assistant. She plans to volunteer for her local search and rescue team and for the ski patrol during the winter months.
