On Saturday, May 11, 2019, 211 Ferrum College graduates walked the commencement stage on Hart International Plaza on campus to receive their diplomas. The commencement exercises began at 10 a.m. and included award presentations under threatening skies that eventually gave way to a light spring rain. The keynote speaker was Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, advocate for inclusion and district superintendent of The United Methodist Church’s Ohio Valley District, who roots his work in service not only to Ohio but to our local Appalachia region, as well.
Provost Aimé Sposato opened the commencement ceremony to welcome the crowd of family, friends, faculty, and staff on hand to celebrate the graduates’ achievements. “Commencements are often thought of as bittersweet endings,” Sposato noted. “But as the word ‘commence’ means, we are truly celebrating beginnings on our campus today. This is your moment to shine.”
Following the invocation given by Dean of the Chapel Jan Nicholson Angle, President David Johns greeted the crowd and instructed the graduates to thank their friends and families for their love and support, as “great achievement requires a group effort.” Johns then reminded the students of Mother’s Day, stating, “Your mother will always be smarter than you!”
In closing, Johns reflected: “Amazing things happen here at Ferrum College each and every day – sometimes in big and splashy ways, but very often, in small and incremental ways. And, before you know it, we gather together in this place to celebrate the transformation of lives that has taken place.”
Ferrum College Board of Trustees member Suzanne Smith ’98 and Alumni Association Vice President Twyla Tatum ’04 each gave their greetings on behalf of their respective boards. Five distinguished faculty members, who will retire after 154 years of combined service to the College, were recognized: Dr. Faye Angel, Dr. William “Dub” Osborne, Dr. Bob Pohlad, Professor Susan Spataro, Dr. Carolyn Thomas, and Dr. Demetri Tsanacas.
The presentation of awards followed. Associate Professor of Biology, Katie Goff, received the Exemplary Faculty Award, which recognizes a full-time faculty member at Ferrum College who exemplifies excellence and commitment to teaching. Goff, who was recently honored at the College’s employee recognition lunch for 10 years of service to the institution, is beloved by her students and passionate for the campus community. Along with her commitment to guiding students on their career pathways, she is the dedicated advisor for Minds-N-Medicine, a club that supports students’ experiences as early career health professionals.
Three graduates received the Senior Academic Excellence Award: Leya Deickman, of Fayetteville, NC; Koby McMahon, of Annapolis, MD; and Joshua Wright of Stuart, VA. The award is based on grades earned in all college courses by a full-time student, including those taken at Ferrum, as well as those received in transfer from other colleges or universities. All three seniors maintained a 4.0 GPA. Deickman earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology; McMahon received a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice; and Wright received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics.
Leya Deickman ’19 also received the Arthur S. Owens Leadership Award, which is presented annually to the senior chosen by the faculty who best exemplifies the qualities leadership, initiative, honor and outstanding character. Recipients of this award must also hold an excellent academic record, have participated in extra-curricular activities, and shown creative initiative in making Ferrum College a better place to study, work, and live.
Following the awards presentations, Rev. Hitchcock addressed the graduates. “Life is yours,” he said. “There is nothing that can hold you back. You were educated for a purpose.” Hitchcock closed with a charge to the graduates: “You are going to change the future; we depend on you. Ferrum, get busy living!”
Student Government Association President Lawrence Baranski ’19, of Williamsburg, Va., then introduced Senior Class President Andrew Meadows ’19, of Chatham, Va. After presenting the senior class gift to President Johns, Meadows introduced Deickman as the senior class speaker.
After thanking the class of 2019 for the honor of being asked to speak, Deickman referenced her extraordinarily busy schedule as a full-time student, full-time mother to her four-year-old son, residence hall advisor, and athlete, among other activities. She explained that she was able to do it all with the support of this graduating class. “Whether we do it intentionally or not, we all contribute to the success of others by simply supporting them in both small and large ways,” Deickman said. She closed with advice: “While this moment will pass us by, just as all of the experiences of college, let us be mindful of those who surround us in support and who have led us to this very day. Be willing to accept help when it is offered so you can be successful…and always be willing to give help, so you can be that support for someone else.”
After the conferring and awarding of degrees by Johns and Sposato, a celebratory picnic lunch was held under tents on Franklin Hall quad for all in attendance. The weekend events also included a traditional Baccalaureate service on Friday evening in Vaughn Chapel followed by a candlelight ceremony at Hart International Plaza symbolizing the light of knowledge that the new graduates will carry forth into the world.
Set up continues for Ferrum College’s 103rd commencement.
Ferrum College will celebrate the 103rd commencement on Saturday, May 11, 2019 in Hart International Plaza in the center of campus. The College is expecting approximately 211 seniors to walk the commencement stage to receive their diplomas. The ceremony, beginning at 10 a.m., will include the presentation of student, faculty, and alumni awards.
Advocate for inclusion and longtime friend of President David Johns, Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, will address the 2019 graduates. “I am pleased Bruce Hitchcock will join us for this year’s commencement ceremony,” said Johns. “We both grew up in Ohio and I am eager to introduce him to Virginia’s Blue Ridge and to the fine people of Ferrum College.”
Graduates will also participate in a traditional Baccalaureate service on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Vaughn Chapel. The service will conclude with a candlelight ceremony at Hart International Plaza to symbolize the light of knowledge that the new graduates will carry forth into the world.
Please note:
Ferrum College’s 103rd commencement speaker is Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, an advocate for inclusion within the United Methodist Church. He is pictured here with his wife, Melissa.
Advocate for inclusion, Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, believes all are welcome within the United Methodist church. He will address Ferrum College’s 103rd graduating class as commencement speaker on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 10 a.m. in Hart International Plaza on the College’s campus. Over 200 seniors are expected to walk the commencement stage to receive their undergraduate degrees.
Hitchcock, who currently serves as Ohio Valley District superintendent, believes “a Christian [can be] a brother and a sister of someone who has a different thought. We have to discover God within, in other people, and all around us, and the more we do that, the more human, the more decent, the more compassionate we become.”
United Methodist Church Bishop Tracy Malone described Hitchcock as “a visionary leader, a strategic thinker, and one who brings many learnings and experiences from serving in a variety of ministry settings. He has a deep faith and has demonstrated throughout his ministry a strong commitment to discipleship, evangelism, and mission.”
President David Johns met Rev. Hitchcock during their college days and the two remained in contact throughout the years. “I am pleased Bruce Hitchcock will join us for this year’s commencement ceremony,” said Johns. “We both grew up in Ohio and I am eager to introduce him to Virginia’s Blue Ridge and to the fine people of Ferrum College.”
Read more about Rev. Bruce Hitchcock in this East Ohio Conference announcement and in this Herald-Star article.
More about Rev. Bruce Hitchcock: Hitchcock was ordained a deacon in 1987 and then an elder in 1989. While serving as pastor of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Carroll County, Ohio, he obtained his bachelor’s degree from Malone College, and then his Masters of Divinity from United Theological Seminary while pastoring State Road United Methodist Church in Germantown, Ohio. Additionally, he has served other Methodist churches: East Rochester-Bayard UMC (1989-1993), East Sparta UMC (1993-1996), and Huron UMC (1996-2002). Hitchcock worked as executive director of Urban Mission for nine years before pastoring at Geneva UMC in the Western Reserve District from 2011 to 2018. Hitchcock currently resides in Ohio with his wife, Melissa. They have two sons and one daughter.
Leya and her four-year-old son, nicknamed “Little Kendall.”
Leya Deickman does all the things.
A senior from Fayetteville, NC, set to graduate on May 11, 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Leya has truly taken advantage of every available Ferrum College opportunity. She is a residence hall advisor and serves as president of the College’s campus chapter of Help Save the Next Girl, an organization dedicated to the safety of girls and women. She is an intercollegiate wrestler, serving as captain from fall 2016 to present, and has been named Academic All-Conference, Academic All-State, and Academic All-American. She is involved with the College’s orientation team and the Sister 4 Sister mentoring program for African-American students, and served as a Gatway mentor and a PAL tutor for two years. Leya is a Boone Honors Program mentor, a cohort representative to the Honors Advisory Council, and was nominated for the 2019 Honors Scholar of the Year through the Virginia Collegiate Honors Council. She has consistently maintained a 4.0 GPA.
As if those activities weren’t enough to keep her busy, she also stepped in to serve as an editor for Ferrum College’s magazine, Chrysalis Literary & Arts, which won her the Chrysalis Staff Member of the Year Award during the College’s recent Academic Awards Ceremony on April 12. Leya was named to the National Society of Leadership and Success, Psi Chi, and Sigma Tau Delta. She received the Unsung Hero Award during her second year at Ferrum College, which is given to a person who works tirelessly but unselfishly, without the motive of drawing attention to oneself. Without question, Leya exhibits the College’s motto: Not Self, But Others.
Leya’s long-term goal is to be an educational psychologist, but she is currently considering additional higher education. “I want to be involved in the lives of young adults,” Leya explained. “This is a delicate time where we are in between teenagers and adulthood and people expect young adults to have everything figured out. I really want to be able to model that anyone can achieve their goals despite adversities. I want to guide them through this journey and provide them with the resources necessary to make their goals come true.”
“Leya’s academic success at Ferrum and the impression she has left upon the faculty are uniformly outstanding,” remarked Professor of English and Director of the Boone Honors Program Lana Whited, who nominated Leya for the 2019 VCHC award. “It is no exaggeration to say that her faculty cannot figure out when Leya Deickman sleeps, or how she maintains her characteristic cheery, upbeat disposition. She is a remarkable young woman.”
She “has a level of maturity and ability to manage any number of activities that I’ve seen in very few students – maybe only three or four – in 35 years of teaching,” explained Katherine Grimes, associate professor of English, who taught Leya three English courses and an honors seminar.
But her most important accomplishment makes all the rest pale in comparison. Despite her rigorous schedule, Leya is the dedicated mother to little Kendall, a happy, remarkably adorable four-year-old boy. She and Kendall’s father, nicknamed Big Kendall, are both students at Ferrum College and are steadfast in their commitment to family and education. Despite their youth, they show up for each other in big ways: Big Kendall held off on his education for a year to watch Little Kendall while Leya began her studies at Ferrum, and Leya has been diligent in her goal to graduate. She will complete her undergraduate work in only three years, as opposed to the traditional four. Big Kendall is on track to graduate in 2021 with a degree in health and human performance and coaching.
Big Kendall attributes the family’s success to their commitment to each other: “All three of us feed off of each other. Believe it or not, our four-year-old will try to motivate us in the best way he can! We are a team,” and to their network of Ferrum College friends: “People offer to watch Little Kendall while we write a paper or do a project. The College is great, but the people make it even greater.”
Leya agrees and is adamant Ferrum College gave her the tools to be successful. “When I found Ferrum, I instantly found a second home. From day one, I felt like I belonged here,” Leya explained. “Through thought provoking conversations, individualized classroom settings, and countless hours of community service, Ferrum has prepared me to help others. If I can give people half of what Ferrum has given to me, I know I can help make the world a better place. I am not only excited, but honored to be an alumna of such an inspirational institution.”
