keynote speaker Archives - Ferrum College

4/19/2021

New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo will be the keynote speaker at Ferrum College’s 105th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 1, 2021 at 10 a.m. The ceremony honoring the class of 2021 will be held in Adams Stadium and will follow the guidelines released last month by Governor Ralph Northam, which allows for a limited number of guests to attend outdoor graduations.

Selingo 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 the founding director of the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership at Arizona State University, where he also serves as a special advisor for innovation and professor of practice. Additionally, he co-hosts the podcast “FutureU” and is a regular contributor to The Atlantic.

Previously, Selingo served as a visiting scholar at Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities. He was the top editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education, where he worked for 16 years. Selingo has received numerous awards for his work from the Education Writers Association, Society of Professional Journalists, and the Associated Press.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, Selingo went on to earn a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University. He now lives in Washington, DC with his family.

More about Jeff Selingo here.

More about Ferrum College’s 105th commencement ceremony here.

4/14/2021

2021 VA Teacher of the Year Anthony Swann 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.