Huntingdon graduates largest class in College history

HUNTINGDON COLLEGE
NEWS RELEASE

May 10, 2017

For more information, contact:
Su Ofe
(334) 833-4515; news@hawks.huntingdon.edu

Huntingdon graduates largest class in College history

Montgomery, Ala.—Members of the Huntingdon College Class of 2017 collected their diplomas in two separate ceremonies Saturday, May 6. With day and evening graduates combined, this is the first time Huntingdon graduates in a single year have totaled more than 300 students. The Commencement Address was given by pollster/political commentator Kristen Soltis Anderson, author of The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials are Leading America. The graduate address was given by Jaylen Ware, Class of 2017, from Rome, Georgia.

During the traditional day student ceremony, the following awards were given:

• The Margaret Read Scholarship Medal, given to the students who earned the highest grade point averages (4.0) in the graduating class:
  • Zachary Andre’ den Besten, Enterprise, Alabama
  • Courtney Paige Harville, Morristown, Tennessee
  • Chandler Jordan Kemp, Jacksonville, Florida
  • Margaret Virginia Murphy, Montgomery, Alabama
  • Alexis Rae Ofe, Montgomery, Alabama
  • Julia Renae Shappert, Commercial Point, Ohio
  • Hannah Danielle Shirley, Prattville, Alabama
  • Emily Noel Simon, Montgomery, Alabama
• The Loyalty Award, voted by members of the graduating class and reflecting the person deemed by his/her peers as “the most loyal and dedicated senior”: Victoria Ann Krupa, Bradenton, Florida
• The Willard D. Top Award, given to a graduate who exemplifies the highest commitment to academics and service: Zachary Andre’ den Besten, Enterprise, Alabama
• The Julia Lightfoot Sellers Award, voted by members of the junior and senior classes as “that member of the teaching faculty who … has done much this year toward inspiring them to nobility of purpose and integrity of character, and rekindling within them a deeper desire for learning”: Dr. Erastus C. Dudley, Professor of Biology and Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• The Winn and Gordon Chappell Academic Enrichment Award, given to the member of the faculty who has demonstrated exceptional student engagement and student achievement in the arts and sciences: Dr. Lisa Clark, Assistant Professor of Sport Science and Physical Education
• The Rhoda Coleman Ellison Distinguished Faculty Lifetime Service Award, given upon retirement to a member of the faculty who has devoted his or her entire teaching career to bettering the academic life of Huntingdon College students: The Reverend Dr. Frank Buckner, Professor of Religion and Associate Provost for Curriculum and Faculty Development

The following students, presented in alphabetical order, graduated in the Class of 2017 traditional day program at Huntingdon College:

Huntingdon College, grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition of the United Methodist Church, is committed to nurturing growth in faith, wisdom, and service and to graduating individuals prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Founded in 1854, Huntingdon is a coeducational liberal arts college recognized among “The Fastest Growing Colleges in America”  by The Chronicle of Higher Education; among the top 10 regional colleges and top 10 best regional values by U.S. News and World Report; among the top tier of regional colleges by the Princeton Review; among “Colleges that Contribute to the Public Good,” by Washington Monthly; and on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The Huntingdon campus, a Tree Campus USA, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

— Suellen (Su) Ofe Associate
Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Huntingdon College
1500 E. Fairview Ave., Montgomery, AL 36106
(334) 833-4515; Cell (334) 324-6591
www.huntingdon.edu