Landmark College Honors Spring 2017 Graduates
by Madeline Bergstrom
PUTNEY, Vt. -- Seventy-eight graduates were honored on Saturday, May 13, 2017, at Landmark College's Spring Commencement Ceremony, including nine baccalaurate graduates, 57 graduates who earned an associate degree in liberal studies, and four graduates each in the associate degree programs in business studies, computer science, and life sciences.
The ceremony opened with an invocation by Michael Luciani, vice president for student affairs and dean of student life. Dr. Peter Eden, Landmark College's president, delivered the welcome address. Nan Strauch, a member of the Board of Trustees and the parent of a member of Landmark College's first class of students, honored five longtime Landmark College faculty and staff members who are retiring this year: Linda Hecker, Tom Kosiba, Lesle Lewis, Virginia Scholl, and Tom Trenchard.
The most distinctive feature of a Landmark College commencement is that every graduate has the opportunity to speak about their academic journey as they receive their diploma. Stories ranged from poignant to funny, serious to irreverent.
Watch the ceremony here:
Awards
Community Service Award: Ahmad Ghiaz Badruddin (pictured here receiving the award from Michael Luciani)
The Community Service Award is given to the student who has unselfishly given of themselves to the activities of the Landmark College community.
Academic Dean's Award: Mariah Edson (not pictured) and Molly Nelson (pictured below receiving her award from Dr. Gail Gibson, vice president for academic affairs)
The Academic Dean's Award is given to the student who has best demonstrated the qualities that define academic success at Landmark College. These qualities include hard work, seriousness toward learning, intellectual development, and measurable achievement, such as grades.
Charles Drake Award: Ben Raskin-Gross (pictured below with Dr. Peter Eden)
The Charles Drake Award is awarded to a student who has inspired the Landmark College community through his or her personal qualities. This student is not a quitter, but one who lives in the tradition of Dr. Charles Drake, whose lifetime of vision and courage helped to found the College. This student gives 100 percent, goes the extra mile, and perseveres in the pursuit of his or her goals. This student helps the rest of us realize that we have more resources to draw upon than we think, and helps us to keep going when we feel discouraged.
President's Award: Michael Kenyon (pictured below with Dr. Peter Eden)
The President's Award is given to the student who has best exemplified the principles we believe in here at Landmark College. This student is talented and energetic, meets difficulties head-on, works hard, and is dedicated to his or her studies. On the other hand, this student also finds time to contribute to the well-being of other people and to the life of the Landmark College community as a whole.
Spring 2017 Graduates
Congratulations to all the graduates!
| Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Each B.A. student was required to complete a capstone project of their choosing. | |||
| Talal Al-Meshri Ω | “Augmented Reality Games and Their Impact on Socialization and Self-Esteem” |
||
| Ahmad Ghiaz Badruddin | “Anti-Social Personality Disorder: Reality vs. Film Portrayals” | ||
| Elizabeth Hubbard Ω | “Giving a Face to Neurofibromatosis” | ||
| Michael Kenyon Ω | “Students with ADHD in the Classroom: Learning from Montessori and Waldorf Methods” |
||
| Jeffrey Marcano ♦ | “The Journey of Students on the Autism Spectrum through Higher Education” |
||
| Jake McLaughlin | “On the Road: Using Self-Determination Theory to Coach Elite Road Cyclists” |
||
| Samuel Pratt | “Dissecting the Issue of Dissection in the Classroom” | ||
| Katherine Udvarhelyi | “The Social Responsibilities of Three Vermont Businesses” | ||
| Kate Weinstein ° | “Fan Fiction vs. Copyright: The Right to Write” | ||
The B.A. graduates after the ceremony:
| Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alejandro Camerieri-Rodriguez | Caitlin Fash | Sean Morse |
| Christopher Adschiew | Michael Ferrari | Molly Nelson* |
| Isaac Alam | Samuel Garcia | Lucas O’Keefe |
| Peter Andreas Ω | Andre Gaughan * | Alyssa Picknelly ¤ |
| James Bach * | Nathaniel Gulley | Sarah Rabbit |
| Emily Bradley ♦ | Jared Hammerman | Benjamin Raskin-Gross ¤* |
| Dawn Brewer ¤ * | Margaret Holgate ∞* | Cassandra Reng |
| Samuel Calle | Michael Israelton | Michael Rose * |
| Eliza Caughey Ω | Rachel Katz | Krzysztof Rozycki |
| Camden Chilcoff | Stephen Kellogg | Caroline Sanderson |
| Stacey Clement ¤ | Rachael Koslouski ¤ | William Schlickler |
| Elizabeth Coons ∞ | Justin Lee | Kristina Schopper |
| Leah Coppola ♦ | Christopher Leong * | Adam Singer* |
| Eleanor Davis | Joseph Lydon * | Jessup Straus¤ |
| Mariah Edson ♦ | Demetria Lyons | James Valeri |
| Lenora Ellison | John Lyons | Kellie Vien Ω |
| Aaron Epelbaum | Harrison McGuire | Joseph Viglietti |
| William Faden Ω* | Julia McLaughlin ♦¤ | Andrew Voss |
| Stephanie Fasano | McKenzie McNamara | Elizabeth Weller |
Graduates pose with Dr. Eden before the ceremony:
| Associate of Arts in Business Studies | |
|---|---|
| Mitchell Barrett | John Coyne |
| Michaela Bied | Alexander Milliken |
| Associate of Science in Computer Science | |
|---|---|
| Max Ames | Robert Christopher |
| Matthew Bonanno | Gregory Hadjiyane |
| Associate of Science in Life Sciences | |
|---|---|
| Jeanette Brendler | Samantha Jackson |
| Rhiannon Greywolf * | Matthew Merline * |
Key to Symbols:
°Golden Key Honor Society
* Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
♦ Communication
Ω Psychology
β Computer Science
€ Media Studies
π Business Studies
¤ Education
∞ Natural Science