May 3, 2006

Cowley’s largest graduating class to take part in Saturday ceremony

More than 700 students will be candidates for graduation Saturday when Cowley College holds its 83rd commencement exercises.

The commencement exercises will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday inside W.S. Scott Auditorium. A reception for graduates, family members and friends will be held immediately following the ceremony in the Earle N. Wright Community Room inside the Brown Center.

More than 300 of the students are expected to participate in Saturday’s ceremony. Along with the conferring of degrees, college alumnus Dr. James Sherbon will be presented with this year’s Outstanding Tiger Alumni Award. Sherbon is a 1956 graduate of Cowley. He serves as a substitute teacher and lives in Lenexa.

The featured speaker is Pam Smith, Cowley’s natural science department instructor and the 2004 recipient of the Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence and Student Learning.

Members of Cowley’s faculty also will be recognized, including Michelle Schoon, who was presented the Paul Stirnaman Award, Marlys Cervantes, who was named the 2006 Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence and Student Learning, and Brett Butler and Cindy Branscum, who will be honored later this month as Excellence Award recipients at the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development in Austin, Texas.

Two members of Cowley’s Student Government Association also will address the class. Ashley Bland, a sophomore dental hygiene major from Ponca City, Okla., served as SGA president during the 2005-2006 academic year. Sarah Coury, a sophomore liberal arts major from Arkansas City, served as SGA vice president.

Students listed in the official Commencement program Saturday are candidates for the associate of arts degree, the associate degree of applied science, the associate degree of general studies, the associate degree of science, or the college certificate.

The more than 700 students include summer 2005 graduates, December 2005 graduates, and May 2006 graduates. Students who graduated last summer and last December have received their diplomas. May 2006 graduates will receive their diplomas in June.

The Sid Regnier Bookstore at 207 W. Fifth Ave. will be open until 12:30 p.m. Saturday.