Commencement-2019-TEXT-PAGES

CANDIDATES FOR DEGREESDEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Aidana Almazova summa cum laude Merri

C OMMENCEMENT E XERCISES

PROCESSIONAL

from the African-American Organ Music Anthology

Recording of Dr Javier Clavere, Berea College Organist

(The audience will please remain seated during the Processional )

THE ACADEMIC PROCESSION

BEARER OF THE MACE

Dr Marie-Madeleine Watkins Professor of French, Foreign Languages Department

PLATFORM PARTY COLLEGE FACULTY LABOR SUPERVISORS OF GRADUATING STUDENTS

STUDENT MARSHALS Bernadette Kwisera Daniela Olivera CANDIDATES FOR GRADUATION

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

INVOCATION

Member, Senior Class

CELEBRATORY MUSIC

Arr Bob Chilcott Members of the Black Music Ensemble and Concert Choir

Dr Stephen Bolster, Conductor Yuri Kim, Pianist

PRESENTATION OF AWARDS

Student Employee of the Year, Student Employment Supervisor of the Year

Presented by Dr Sylvia Asante, Dean of Labor Elizabeth Perry Miles Award for Community Service Presented by Dr Lyle D Roelofs, President Paul C Hager Award for Excellence in Advising Presented by Dr Scott Steele, Dean of Curriculum and Student Success

Seabury Award for Excellence in Teaching Presented by Dr Chad Berry, Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty

T J Wood and Hilda Welch Wood Achievement Awards

Presented by Dr Lyle D Roelofs, President

CONFERRING OF HONORARY DEGREE AND

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Professor Emerita of Education Studies

Dr George Ella Lyon

George Ella Lyon, born in Harlan, Kentucky, is an award-winning author with strong Appalachian roots A writer of poetry and songs, fiction and non-fiction, she has authored more than 50 books for children, adolescents, and adults Whatever the age of her intended audience, George Ella speaks to the reader’s heart and mind, nurturing care in thinking and wonder at the world within and the world without

While she writes in various genres, poetry lies at the heart of George Ella’s work Her

collection for adults, Many-Storied House, is a compelling memoir in verse in which each

room of her family home evokes memories of relationships and experiences within those spaces over the decades Her single poem, “Where I’m From,” continues to influence the lives of those who follow its pattern, pen in hand, to plumb and re-value their own life experiences And while most of her books for children are not classified as poetry, the words “poetic” and “lyrical” abound in reviews of many of those works, including, to name

just a few, All the Water in the World, Come a Tide, and Who Came Down that Road?

After completing her undergraduate studies in music and English at Centre College, George Ella earned her Ph.D in English from Indiana University, where she studied with the poet Ruth Stone She was named Kentucky Poet Laureate in 2015-16 Her books have garnered many awards, both national and regional, including the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award, the Appalachian Book of the Year, the Bluegrass Award, and many Notable and Best Book citations George Ella has taught creative writing on numerous campuses, and she has encouraged and taught writers of all ages in hundreds of schools, libraries, and conferences throughout the United States

George Ella Lyon lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, Steve Lyon, a musician and writer, and two cats They have two sons, Benn and Joey.

RECOGNITION OF FIRST-GENERATION GRADUATES

PRESIDENT’S CHARGE TO THE CLASS Dr Lyle D Roelofs

PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES

Presented by Dr Chad Berry Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty

Candidates for degrees listed on pages 4–9

BENEDICTION

Willis D Weatherford, Jr Campus Christian Center

ALMA MATER

BEREA, BEREA, BELOVED Raymond M Cable ’29 and Wilfred P Johnson ’29

Where friendships are formed was threatening,

And all shall stand shoulder with fear,

In kinship beneath White and Blue their roots in the wilderness drear

Chorus Thy mem’ry be enshrined in ev’ry heart;

Thy spirit be of us a part;

And though we wander far away, Thy chimes will ring for us each day

A flower nurtured by a plain And watered by the mountain rain, May you ever flourish there, O’ Berea, the beautiful, the fair

(The audience will please be seated for the Benediction and Recessional)

RECESSIONAL

Recording of Dr Javier Clavere, Berea College Organist

CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION

Aidana Almazova (summa cum laude) Merrill Glenn Hudson (magna cum laude)

Derby Ozioma Chukwudi+(cum laude) Martin Manganda Munyika Kameya*

(magna cum laude)

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

Marissa Lynette Morales Brooklin Danette Wiggins (cum laude)

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED DESIGN

Kayla Michelle Barbour (cum laude) Luke D McLean+*

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS

Esther Ayomide Christian Abiara Biology

Emmanuel Acheampong (cum laude) Computer & Information Science,

Mathematics

(magna cum laude)

Kiley Elena Joann Barnard (cum laude) Political Science

Emma Rose Batson (magna cum laude) Child & Family Studies, Psychology

African American Studies

Jacob R Buckley (magna cum laude) Spanish

Kevin Thomas Buckshot, Jr Computer & Information Science Julia Constance Bullock* Women’s & Gender Studies Amanda Paige Burton (cum laude) Sociology, Spanish

Jordan Matthew Byrnes (cum laude) Independent major: Public Health

Education

Alberto Cepeda (cum laude) Peace & Social Justice Studies

Mario A Chavarria Rodriguez Chemistry

Derby Ozioma Chukwudi+ (cum laude) Economics

Niki Ann Clayton (summa cum laude) Child & Family Studies, Psychology Dorothy A Coe (magna cum laude) Chemistry

SunShine Renae Cogar (cum laude) Communication

Trey Michael Lee Collins (magna cum laude) Education Studies

Alicia Marie Crocker (magna cum laude) English

Vincent Michael Davis (cum laude) Computer & Information Science,

Mathematics

Visual & Environmental Studies

(magna cum laude)

Autumn Breanne Edwards (cum laude) Mathematics

Augusta Simone Enns (magna cum laude) Education Studies, Art

Emily Ravon Kearie Fitzpatrick Psychology, Child & Family Studies

Amber Jean Follin (summa cum laude) Biology

Alondra Barrera Garcia+ Peace & Social Justice Studies Logan Gabriel Gardner* Peace & Social Justice Studies

Science

Anthony E Gluck (magna cum laude) Asian Studies

Gabriel L S Gabou-Gomez II (cum laude) Communication, Psychology

(magna cum laude)

Erin Faith Goodpaster Communication

Dayzaughn Symone Graves* Women’s & Gender Studies John R Grove (magna cum laude) Political Science

Benjamin Patrick Hall (cum laude) Asian Studies, Theatre

Dionysium Labdo Grahito Hatmaji* Art

Manuela Hincapie Vidal* (magna cum laude) Peace & Social Justice Studies, Art

Malachi Thomas Holden (summa cum laude) Mathematics,

Computer & Information Science Colton Grant Honeycutt (magna cum laude) Religion

Bethany Jade Howard (cum laude) Psychology

Erika Christine Howard (magna cum laude) German, Education Studies

(summa cum laude)

Shanita Ariona Monique Jackson (cum laude)African & African American Studies

Eunice Betzabe Jigon Jarquin+ Asian Studies

Evan James William Johnson* Computer & Information Science

Lyric-Arnelle Sympathy Jones African & African American Studies

Levi Vincent Kurtenbach (summa cum laude) Spanish, Child & Family Studies

Samantha Renae Lo’Ren Theatre, Women’s & Gender Studies

Kavita Catherine Malstead (magna cum laude) English

Marima Andrew Mambondiumwe Computer & Information Science

Emily Perfect Masters (magna cum laude) English

Temvelo Rejoice Matsebula Child & Family Studies, Biology Hallie Virginia Mattingly (magna cum laude) Child & Family Studies

Cody W Mitchell (cum laude) Computer & Information Science Abdirahman Osman Mohamed Computer & Information Science

Sara R Mullins (cum laude) Communication, English

Kateryna Nabukhotna (magna cum laude) Chemistry

Kenny L Nelson (magna cum laude) Computer & Information Science

Marea Celin Otero (cum laude) English

Kaylie Alexandra Padgett (cum laude) Child & Family Studies

Svetlana Katerina Patterson (cum laude) Child & Family Studies

Philosophy

Emma M Reasoner (summa cum laude) Biology

Elizabeth Alexandra Ronilo History

Beau Siaka Schweitzer (cum laude) Chemistry

Rebecca Danielle Sizemore (magna cum laude) Asian Studies

Samuel Wayne Elkana Slater Independent major: Health Science

Destiny Dakota Strange-Banks Child & Family Studies

Tirtha Subedi* (cum laude) Computer & Information Science

Kearstin Caroline Tingle (magna cum laude) Health & Human Performance

Jacob Martin Uzzle* (magna cum laude) Computer & Information Science Jennifer Elizabeth Walden Sociology, Women’s & Gender

Loren E Weber+ (cum laude) Peace & Social Justice Studies Abigail L Whitaker (cum laude) Chemistry

Mursal Jamal Yaqubi* Peace & Social Justice Studies

* August graduate

+ Dual degree student

ACADEMIC REGALIA

The pageantry of commencement dates back to medieval Europe, where robes grew out of an ecclesiastical tradition and where hoods and caps were worn for warmth The width of the hood designates the level of the degree; the color heralds the major field of study; and the lining identifies the institution that granted the degree Worn in the United States since the early nineteenth century, academic regalia celebrates the attainment of educational degrees

At our commencement celebration, it is evident that the academic origins of Berea’s teaching faculty are diverse and varied When they were graduated, however, they were vested with stoles and hoods that looked just like those of their classmates The blue stoles worn by Berea College graduates today represent the unifying quality of the liberal arts tradition as it has been experienced by all Berea students While our graduates have pursued

a variety of academic majors, concentrations, and minors, their blue stoles are a symbol of what they have experienced together as Bereans Our graduates are vested at the outset of our program by officers of the Berea College Alumni Association, who welcome them as fellow alumni of Berea

The flags hung around the arena reflect the states and countries of our student body The current student body of Berea College represents 42 states and 76 countries Every Berea college graduating class is eloquent testimony of our motto that “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth.”

The traditional Latin used in today’s program designating candidates graduating with honors is interpreted from grade-point averages (GPAs) as follows:

Summa cum laude—with highest honors (GPA 3.9 and higher)

Magna cum laude—with high honors (GPA 3.75–3.899) Cum laude—with honors (GPA 3.6–3.749) Honors designations in the Commencement program reflect graduate cumulative GPAs

as of the end of the Fall 2018 term Honor bars attached to diplomas reflect cumulative GPAs as of the end of the Spring 2019 term for May graduates

and the end of the Summer 2019 term for August graduates

BEREA COLLEGE HISTORY

Berea College is unique in American Higher Education It combines challenging academics, a No-Tuition Promise, an educational work experience for all students, and a residential learning community devoted to equality, social justice, and unity in diversity Berea was founded in 1855 by Christian abolitionists led by Rev John G Fee, who preached a “gospel of impartial love” and envisioned a school that would welcome everyone—regardless of race, religion, or gender His vision was to educate “not merely in the ordinary branches of learning but in love as first in religion and justice as first in government.” Withstanding local dissent, and enduring the turmoil of the Civil War, Berea emerged as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South

Through the years, Berea College adapted as necessary and continues today to focus on providing educational access for students who could not otherwise attend college Berea students, many the first in their families to attend college, excel in the College’s supportive but demanding academic environment The College has a longstanding commitment to interracial co-education; here, people of different races seek to learn from and about each other, while also living together The Labor Program is founded on the worth of work well done, whether manual or mental, and presents students with the opportunity to contribute directly to the wellbeing of all members of the community and to learn valuable job skills, while rewarding them as well with a personal income A strong commitment to its regional home of Appalachia has generated programs enabling preservation, prosperity, and understanding

For 160 years Berea College has been living out its motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” providing educational access that transforms the lives of its students, promoting social justice and equality for all, and serving as an exemplar of affordability and access throughout the world of higher education

ORIGIN OF THE MACE

Originally, the mace was a weapon of war used in Europe The word derived from the Old French word, “masse,” which means “large hammer.” Around the fourteenth century, the mace evolved into a weapon carried by the bodyguard of a monarch during processions, eventually acquiring a purely ceremonial use as an ornate symbol of royal authority Today, an academic mace represents an educational institution’s authority to bestow academic degrees The Sesquicentennial Mace was presented to Berea College by Union Church to be used

in academic processions The hollow cherry wood globe sits atop a metal band that bears Berea College’s motto The outside of the mace bears four images that depict ideals to which the College is committed: learning (a burning lamp), labor (a mop and computer keyboard), service (hands clasped in greeting), and a cross signifying our Christian identity Inside the globe, four symbolic pieces of the College’s history are held Union Church is represented by soil from its foundation and a piece of its slate roof A small audible chime represents the “clarion call” of the College, and a scroll containing the 30,000 names of those long associated with the College and listed on its historic register were inserted into the mace head The mace was designed and sculpted by retired minister and wood artist, Rev Gerald Cooper, and the metal band was made by Dr Gary Mahoney, Laban T and LaVerna McClure Chair of Technology and Applied Design at Berea College