4/14/2021
Ferrum College is pleased to announce that Anthony Swann, Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, will be the keynote speaker for the class of 2020’s in-person commencement ceremony planned for Friday, April 30 at 6 p.m. During the ceremony, the class of 2020 graduates will don regalia and cross the commencement stage set up in Adams Stadium to take a photo with Ferrum College President David Johns.
Swann, who was recently appointed to a four-year term to the Board of Education by Governor Ralph Northam, was named 2021 Teacher of the Year during a virtual ceremony in October of 2020. “I plan to utilize this opportunity to give hope to those students who feel that their current trauma or economic hardship is the end of their world,” Swann said.
Swann has taught for 14 years at various elementary schools in Virginia and North Carolina. In 2017, he began his current position as a fifth grade teacher at Rocky Mount Elementary in Franklin County. At the school, he created “Guys with Ties,” a program that encourages Rocky Mount students to “dress to impress” twice a month and practice integrity, honesty, and respect. He also helped develop the school’s Cooperative Culture Initiative, which rewards students for achievements and positive behavior.
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Averett University in 2007, Swann went on to receive a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Regent University in 2014. He currently resides in Vinton, VA.
Read more about Swann here.
Visit here to learn more about Ferrum College’s commencement plans for the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021.
4/13/2021
Last year, Ferrum College introduced the first ever virtual Panther Toast to maintain connections in the Ferrum family during isolation and social distancing. The College is continuing the tradition this Saturday, April 17, by inviting members of campus, alumni, and friends to join in on the second annual virtual Panther Toast. All day long, participants are invited to toast each other by pouring any beverage and posting a photo of their toast to social media, tagging #FerrumCollege, #PantherToast, and fellow Panthers, former professors, and athletic coaches.
See last year’s Panther Toast photos on the Ferrum College Flickr album here.
4/7/2021
The Ferrum College Office of Student Life & Engagement held Student Appreciation Week from March 29 – April 1, 2021. During the week, students were invited to reverse tie dye face masks and dunk Residence Life staff; enjoy free hotdogs, yard games, and a movie with glow accessories; participate in an Easter raffle and paint night; and relax with yoga in the Ferrum Fitness Center.
View photos from the week here.
3/26/2021
Ferrum College is excited to host two in-person commencement ceremonies this year. The Class of 2020 will be celebrated at Adams Stadium on Friday, April 30 at 6 p.m. Following that ceremony, the Class of 2021’s commencement exercises will take place on Saturday, May 1 at 10 a.m., also at Adams Stadium. Both ceremonies will follow the guidelines set forth in Governor Ralph Northam’s March 17 order that allows for a limited number of guests to attend outdoor graduations.
To find up-to-date commencement information for the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021, visit www.ferrum.edu/commencement.
Ferrum College will hold its 105th commencement ceremony in-person at Adams Stadium on Saturday, May 1, 2021. The College’s plans follow Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s March 17 announcement that allows for a limited number of guests to attend outdoor graduations.
“We are looking forward to celebrating our 2021 graduates during an in-person commencement ceremony this May,” said President David Johns. “These students have made Ferrum College history by overcoming enormous challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is their time to shine.”
The College expects 165 graduates to walk across the commencement stage at Adams Stadium, which includes current seniors and the first graduates of Ferrum’s psychology masters degree and EdS programs. Each graduate may invite four guests, as per the governor’s order to keep outdoor events at 30 percent of the venue capacity. The event will be live-streamed for friends and family who are not able to attend.
The keynote speaker will be New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo, who has written about higher education for more than two decades. His latest book, Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, was published in September 2020 and was named among the “100 Notable Books” of the year by the New York Times. Selingo is a special advisor for innovation and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He also co-hosts the podcast “FutureU” and is a regular contributor to The Atlantic.
Prior to the May 1 ceremony, graduates will have their class photo taken in Adams Stadium on April 24. Following the class photo, graduates will be invited to take individual photos with Ferrum College President David Johns.
The College will not host a baccalaureate and candlelight ceremony this year; however, an academic awards ceremony will be held on Friday, April 16, 2021.
Class of 2021 graduates may register and receive tickets for their guests here.
Watch the livestream of the ceremony here.
Ferrum College announced today that it will invite members of the class of 2020 to return to campus for an in-person commencement celebration on Friday, April 30, 2021 at 6 p.m. This event will precede the College’s commencement for the Class of 2021, scheduled for Saturday, May 1. The Class of 2020 made history last year when their commencement ceremony was held virtually to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Class of 2020 graduates who participate in this year’s outdoor commencement exercise will be able to invite four guests to attend as they cross the commencement stage at Adams Stadium. Graduates will be asked to wear their regalia and will have the opportunity to take a photo with Ferrum College President David Johns. The keynote speaker will be 2021 Virginia Teacher of the Year Anthony Swann who teaches fifth grade at Rocky Mount Elementary in Franklin County. The ceremony will follow the guidelines set forth in Governor Ralph Northam’s March 17 order that allows for a limited number of guests to attend outdoor graduations.
In order to participate, Class of 2020 graduates must register themselves and their guests for the event by April 28 using this link.
SGM (Ret) Dianne Ellwein
Ferrum College celebrated the nation’s veterans during a virtual Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11, 2020 at 10 a.m., which featured SGM (Ret.) Dianne Ellwein as the keynote speaker.
Viewers may watch the video of the ceremony on this page or on the College’s main Facebook page.
More about SGM (Ret) Ellwein:
Currently residing in Rapid City, SD, Ellwein is a highly decorated retired Title 10 AGR Soldier with the SD Army National Guard. She enlisted on May 2, 1981, and most recently served as the Reserve Component Command Career Counselor in US Army Europe where she oversaw the RC Retention program for 10 different army installations throughout Germany and Italy. She also served in the same capacity with the 1st ID at Ft. Riley, Kansas, prior to accepting the assignment at USAREUR.
She was the former Senior Enlisted Advisor for Reserve Affairs to the US Army Chief of Chaplains and the National Guard Chaplain Assistant Career Field Manager and Proponency SGM at National Guard Bureau. In 2013, she was DA Select to the rank of CSM. Prior to her Title 10 assignments, she served as a Title 32 Production Recruiter for the South Dakota Army National Guard where she earned top national awards.
Ellwein earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from Northern State College in Aberdeen, SD. She went on to earn a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in guidance, counseling, and personnel services. She graduated with honors from South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and has taken graduate level courses from the University of South Dakota and Duke University School of Medicine.JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZwbGF5ZXIudmltZW8uY29tJTJGdmlkZW8lMkY0Nzc0NzM1NzMlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjY0MCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjM2MCUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIyMCUyMiUyMGFsbG93JTNEJTIyYXV0b3BsYXklM0IlMjBmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTIyJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNF
Ferrum College is exited to announce the launch of the Appalachian Music program and its new music ensemble, Orchestra Appalachia, during a Facebook Live event on Friday, August 7, 2020 at 2 p.m. Visit Music at Ferrum College’s Facebook page here to view the recital.
The virtual recital will feature Jake Blount, Uma and Giri Peters, and After Jack’s Emily and Rachel Blankenship-Tucker. Performances will showcase the living tradition of modern old-time music.
Ferrum College’s new Appalachian Music Program, under the direction of Emily Blankenship-Tucker, welcomes all musicians, vocalists, and dancers, of any skill level, to join and celebrate the region’s rich Appalachian heritage and music while also recognizing the present time and place. The program is open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. Email ebtucker@ferrum.edu to learn more.
Celebrities surprised graduates during the College’s virtual commencement ceremony. Top, right to left: Alumnus Mike McColl ’93; Connor Trinneer; Ty Burrell; Graham Phillips. Bottom, right to left: Joel McHale; David Baldacci; Jamie McShane; Keegan Michael Key.
At the end of Ferrum College’s 104th commencement which was celebrated in an online ceremony, graduates and viewers were surprised by eight celebrity guest appearances.
The pre-recorded appearances were coordinated by alumnus, actor, writer, and producer Mike McColl ’93, and included well wishes from actor Ty Burrell of the television show Modern Family; comedian Joel McHale of The Soup, Community, and Card Sharks; author David Baldacci; actor Graham Phillips of Riverdale and The Good Wife; actor Jamie McShane of Sons of Anarchy, Murder in the First, and Bloodline; comedian Keegan Michael Key; and actor Connor Trinneer of Star Trek Enterprise.
Watch the celebrity appearances in the coverage of our 104th commencement here.
A group of Ferrum College alumni and friends will travel to Rome, Italy this July 24 – 31, 2020.
The group, consisting of about eight to twelve people led by Ferrum College’s Assistant Professor of Religion Eric Vanden Eykel, will arrive in Rome on July 23. Their exploration of the Eternal City will begin on July 24, with authentic cuisine and visits to museums, archaeological sites, and churches.
Vanden Eykel has visited Rome before and will serve as the group’s tour guide. At Ferrum College, he teaches courses in biblical studies, archaeology, the historical Jesus, and world religions. He received his Ph.D. in Judaism and Christianity from Antiquity from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 2014. He also holds a Master of Art in biblical studies from Marquette and a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.
Priority registration for alumni began on January 31, 2020. Registration to all interested parties will open on March 1, 2020.
To register, visit here.
Learn more about the trip here.
See photos from Vanden Eykel’s May 2019 trip to Rome here.
Ferrum College’s annual President’s and Dean’s List Dinner was held in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room on January 31, 2020. During the dinner, College officials recognized 258 Dean’s List recipients and 97 President’s List recipients for spring 2019. For fall 2019, 290 students were named to Dean’s List and 103 to President’s List.
To qualify for Dean’s List, a student must be full-time with a grade point average of at least 3.4 out of a possible 4.0. Students named to President’s List are full-time with a grade point average of 4.0 at the end of the spring and fall semesters.
See photos from the evening here.
Find students named to the President’s List here.
Dean’s List students are named here.
Students enjoyed the first F.L.I.P. session in October 2019.
Three Ferrum College staff members are trying a different approach to a topic considered foreign to many college students: financial literacy.
Armed with a grant funded by Bank of America, Controller Vicky Robertson, along with Director of Financial Aid and Ferrum College alumnae Heather Hollandsworth ’01 and Grants and Prospect Research Coordinator Laurie Adams ’12, have created a pilot program to foster informed and responsible financial choices.
The program, called Financial Literacy Information Project, or F.L.I.P, is aimed at incoming freshman but is open to all ages and campus constituencies. The goal is to empower attendees, particularly students, to make informed and responsible choices as they begin to build their credit history.
“Financial literacy is very important because it equips individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to manage money effectively,” explained Robertson. “Our Financial Literacy Program team is very excited to be able to provide our students with the tools needed to make informed financial decisions.”
The program consists of two general F.L.I.P. sessions, followed by one-on-one coaching sessions, spread throughout the 2019-2020 academic year. The program culminates in a third and final F.L.I.P. session in April 2020. Those who attended all sessions and at least one coaching session are eligible to win one of two $1,000 scholarships at the final session in April. Those who were unable to attend all sessions are still eligible to win additional prizes and enjoy giveaways and snacks.
The first F.L.I.P. session was held in October 2019 and included presentations from Skyline National Bank representatives, a question and answer session, giveaways and prizes, snacks, and games. Following the session, a one-on-one coaching session was held in November 2019, allowing students to meet with a banking representative to personalize their financial plans.
The next F.L.I.P. session is set for Tuesday, February 4, 2020 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Founders Room in upper Stanley Library, with a one-on-one coaching session on March 10, 2020. Those interested in attending a one-on-one coaching session should complete this form.
Gospel Fest 2020: “The 20/20 Vision” will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 5 p.m. in Ferrum College’s Vaughn Chapel, 40 Wiley Drive, Ferrum. This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsored by Ferrum College’s Office of Spiritual Life, the concert will feature the Ferrum College Fresh Wind Gospel Choir and Band; Bishop M.L. Hardy and the Sons of Thunder; United Voices of God; and Longwood University’s Brothers and Sisters in Christ (B.A.S.I.C.) Gospel Choir.
Read more about Ferrum College’s Office of Spiritual Life here.
Ferrum College junior Davon “D” Robinson ’21 will be the keynote speaker at the College’s MLK Day program.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Ferrum College Black Student Union (BSU) has prepared a program which will be held in Vaughn Chapel on campus from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Ferrum College junior Davon “D” Robinson ’21 who will talk about “Learning to Live.” The program is free and open to the public.
The program will also feature short civil rights films, a video of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, and poetry from the College’s BSU.
Ferrum College’s BSU is open to all students and seeks to serve the community by promoting unity and cultural awareness among students, faculty, and staff. Read more about Ferrum College’s clubs and activities here.
