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Wesleyan Graduates Over 250 Students
released: 05/19/04
West Virginia Wesleyan College President William R. Haden and Interim Dean of the College Dr. Larry Parsons handed out more than 250 diplomas Sunday May 2, during the 114th annual Commencement Ceremony in the John D. Rockefeller Physical Education Building in front of nearly 2,000 family and friends of graduates.

The men and women who received their degrees join the more than 13,000 Wesleyan alumni as members of the OrangeLine.

Commencement ceremonies were highlighted by an address to the Class of 2004 by Bishop S. Clifton Ives. His message, entitled, “Justice, Reconciliation and Service” encouraged graduates to make service an important part of their lives. Bishop Ives is the Resident Bishop of the West Virginia Area of The United Methodist Church and will retire from this role in June. A graduate of the University of Maine, Bishop Ives received his Master's and Doctorate degrees in Divinity from the Boston University School of Theology. As part of the ceremony, Bishop Ives received an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters. He is currently a member of the Wesleyan Board of Trustees.

Dr. James Beeby, assistant professor of history, was honored with the coveted “Teacher of the Year” award by the graduating seniors. The annual award is based on a vote conducted by the graduating class, in which each student selects his or her favorite professor during their college career.

The previous night, Baccalaureate was held in Wesley Chapel with featured speaker Dr. Stella Roberts ’72. Dr. Roberts is the District Superintendent of the Knoxville, Tennessee, District for the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church.

With graduation behind them, Wesleyan students will now step into a world full of possibilities with unlimited potential. Several will enter the work force, with many recent graduates already finding jobs in their teaching, nursing, and health care fields. Many more will elect to continue their education at graduate schools in state and across the country such as West Virginia University, Marshall University, Cornell University in New York and Shenandoah College in Virginia.

Remarked graduating senior and graphic design student Dionne Andrews, “"It wasn't only what I learned at Wesleyan that affected me the most, but who I learned it from—professors, staff, alumni, and fellow students. There are people at Wesleyan that I was fortunate to know that really made me think and change my perspective on life. These are the people that I'll never forget.”

“The Commencement weekend was marked by a positive spirit, good weather and gracious interactions among those gathered to observe the ceremonies,” remarked President William R. Haden. “Graduates and their families and friends heard inspiring messages from Reverend Stella Roberts and Bishop S. Clifton Ives. All in all, it was a grand opportunity to acknowledge the accomplishments of the Class of 2004, and I wish them well in their future endeavors."