FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 12, 2015
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ÏãåúÖ±²¥ State College
Public Relations Department
(304) 462-4115
GLENVILLE, WV – ÏãåúÖ±²¥ State College's winter commencement ceremony took place on the morning of Saturday, December 12 in the college's Waco Center.
Courtney Cutlip of Clendenin, West Virginia poses for a photo with her boyfriend Dillon Lane after ÏãåúÖ±²¥ State College's December Commencement Ceremony. Cutlip graduated with honors as a Natural Resource Management student. Lane graduated from GSC in May.
The graduates, officially part of the Class of 2016, completed requirements for an Associate or Bachelor’s Degree in a variety of academic areas including business, criminal justice, teacher education, and natural resource management, among others. The grads were made up of approximately 90 students who completed their degree requirements in July and December 2015. The students come from several counties throughout West Virginia as well as seven other states (California, Kansas, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia).
Retired ÏãåúÖ±²¥ State College Assistant Professor of English and Assistant to the President Dr. David Millard delivered the keynote address and was awarded an honorary doctorate of public service from the institution. The honorary degree is one of higher education's most significant accolades and it serves the dual purpose of recognizing extraordinary individuals and inspiring graduating students. It is awarded to distinguished individuals who merit special recognition for achievement and distinction. Millard retired from GSC in July 2015 and previously worked at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina.
Millard advised the graduates in attendance to work hard toward doing what they want to do, to do it well, and, in so doing, make a difference for themselves and those around them. As he put it, "Those personal and professional choices pave a path for you to really like yourself. Today, you begin that irregular route to liking yourself; you’re going to determine what you like to do and you’re going to find the circumstance that lets you do it." His speech, tinged with a trademark wit that recent GSC students will recall, also included audience participation where several graduates were asked to come forward and field questions from the speaker.
The GSC Commencement Assembly
ÏãåúÖ±²¥ State College President Dr. Peter Barr concluded the ceremony by telling the graduates, "Each of you should take great pride in your success and leave this occasion proudly and ready, or nearly ready, to take your places in the world. Your family and friends and the faculty and staff of ÏãåúÖ±²¥ State College salute you."
Spring semester classes at GSC will begin on Monday, January 11, 2016. For information on enrolling and beginning your journey as a GSC Pioneer, contact the ÏãåúÖ±²¥ State College Office of Admissions at www.glenville.edu or (304) 462-6130.