Courtesy photo.
Five undergraduates from Stetson University are among the 515 graduate and under-graduate classes to receive degrees. At left, Stetson President Wendy Libby President Wendy B. Libby gives the "charge" to graduates May 8 in the university's Edmunds Center.
DELAND – Stetson University awarded degrees to 515 students, including five from Southeast Volusia, during two Spring Commencement ceremonies.
The local under-graduates were Christopher Gebhardt, Edgewater - majoring in both American Studies and English; Kristen Cass, New Smyrna Beach - General Business Administration; Kayla Renfroe, Oak Hill - Accounting; Pamela Peterson, New Smyrna Beach - Finance; and Jordan Slingo, New Smyrna Beach - Finance.
The graduate ceremony was Friday the undergraduate ceremony was. Saturday, both in the Edmunds Center. Stetson President Wendy B. Libby gave the “charge” at both ceremonies – a tradition where the president places a duty and responsibility upon the graduates. She conferred the degrees for 94 students who received graduate degrees and 421 undergraduates who received bachelor’s degrees.
Three graduating seniors gave commencement addresses at the undergraduate ceremony: Erica Saviuk, representing the College of Arts & Sciences; Ashley Perryman, School of Business Administration; and Robert Pace, School of Music.
Dr. Libby became the ninth president of Stetson last July and was formally inaugurated in March during Homecoming 2010. Before coming to Stetson, she served as president of Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., and as vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer at Furman University in South Carolina.
Commencement for the College of Law will be held Saturday in Gulfport, with legal writing scholar Bryan A. Garner as the keynote speaker.
The College of Law has 284 graduates this spring.
FAST FACTS:
Founded in 1883, Stetson University in Central Florida is an independent university that provides a transforming education in the liberal arts tradition. Stetson stresses academic excellence and community-engaged learning, and consistently earns high national rankings.
In 1982, Stetson was awarded a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honorary society. The College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business Administration and School of Music are located at the historic campus in DeLand. The College of Law is in Gulfport/St. Petersburg.
The university also has two satellite centers: the Tampa Law Center and the Stetson University Center at Celebration near Orlando.
More information: Office of Public Relations and Communications, 386-822-8920, and Stay Connected with Stetson on social media.