Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009 - 9

10 HOOD MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2009 2009 COMMENCEMENT Undergraduate May  was a day of celebration for the  students who completed their undergraduate studies and received their bachelor’s degrees. Provost and Dean of the Faculty Robert N. Funk, Ph.D., presented the largest class of graduates to the president, who awarded diplomas during the  a.m. ceremony, attended by faculty and parents and friends of the graduating seniors. The  women and  men hailed from  states, the District of Columbia and ﬁve countries. Of the  traditional-aged students,  transferred to Hood from two-year or other colleges;  began their college education at Hood when they were  years or older. Seventeen students studied abroad for a semester or more in Australia, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Mexico, Morocco, South Korea and Spain, and  students completed internships at a myriad of sites in the community and in the region. Th is year’s graduating seniors included  legacy students who, like one or more of their family members, can now call themselves alumni of the College. Michelle Leggieri and Debra Thompson, both social work majors from Frederick, were awarded The Hood College Academic Achievement Prize, which is awarded to the students with the best academic records in the Class of . President Ronald J. Volpe, Ph.D., paid tribute to retiring faculty members Courtney Carter, Ph.D., professor of English, and Betsy Estilow, professor biology, for their service, leadership and dedication to the Hood community. Carter has served on the faculty since  and Estilow has taught at the College since . President Volpe urged the graduates to be proud of how far they had come and of how they got there. “No matter your chosen profession, career path or calling, you know you have the ability, potential and perseverance to achieve anything that you desire and in any environment.” He advised the graduates “to remember that at Hood College we are dream makers. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.” Commencement speaker Stefanie Sanford, Ph.D., deputy advocacy director for national initiatives for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke about how change characterizes and identiﬁes each generation. She acknowledged that the “challenges our country is facing will demand some profound breaks with old traditions—and the courage and imagination to create what takes their place.” She prevailed upon the graduates to “think hard about which traditions are worth keeping and which you should create anew.” Sanford was awarded an honorary doctoral degree for her lifelong contributions and devotion to education advocacy. President Volpe conferred an honory degree upon undergraduate commencement speaker Stefanie Sanford, Ph.D., deputy advocacy director for national initiatives for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To see more photos and speeches from Commencement 2009, go to www.hood.edu/commencement Photos by C. Kurt Holter ’76 and Tim Jacobsen

Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009

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