1,027 degrees awarded at commencement May 12

May 2012

Former Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas urged graduates at Longwood’s May 12 commencement ceremony to “be fearless in fighting for the America we want to build.”

“Here in front of me are teachers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, nurses, soldiers, builders and innovators who have the collective strength to grab America by the scruff of the neck and set it on the right course. You have that power in you,” said Thomas, the first African American and the youngest person, at 32, to be appointed to Virginia’s highest court. Thomas served on the court from 1983-89 and is now a senior partner with the Richmond-based law firm of Hunton & Williams.

Longwood awarded 875 bachelor’s degrees and 152 master’s degrees during the ceremony. This includes students who finished degree requirements in the spring as well as in summer 2011 and fall 2011.

The Sally Barksdale Hargrett Prize for Academic Excellence, awarded to the graduating senior with the highest grade-point average, was shared by Jessica Renee Alley of New Castle, B.S. in kinesiology; Jillian Michelle Chesson of Virginia Beach, B.S. in liberal studies; Mary Catherine Hoyt of Newport News, B.S. in business administration (economics concentration); Stephanie Lauren Roddenberry of Carson, B.S. in business administration (finance concentration); Crystal Elaine Peoples of Chesapeake, B.S. in mathematics; and Megan Ashley Hendrick of Farmville, B.S. in liberal studies. Each had a perfect 4.0 GPA.