Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, will be addressing graduates of Western Governors University this morning at Abravanel Hall.

The nonprofit university, founded and supported by 19 state governors with a mission to expand access to higher education, will honor 642 graduates who hail from 48 states. In addition to Matheson, speakers include four exceptional graduates, "whose moving stories attest to their determination to achieve their personal dreams, sometimes while facing daunting challenges," said WGU spokeswoman Amber Podlucky.

The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and will be broadcast live on the Internet at wgu.edu. Of the 642 degrees awarded, 401 are to undergraduates and 241 will be for graduate degrees. Since its founding in 1995, the online institution has graduated more than 3,200 students.