May 12, 2007

WALLACE STATE CELEBRATES 41ST COMMENCEMENT




HANCEVILLE, Ala.-Wallace State Community College in Hanceville and
President Vicki Hawsey conferred degrees upon approximately 1,000
graduates during Wallace State's 41st commencement ceremony at Tom Drake
Coliseum Saturday.



Since opening its doors in 1966, Wallace State has served hundreds of
thousands of students, and more than 20,000 have been graduated.




In her remarks to the graduating class, Hawsey said, "Graduates,
remember this day because few experiences can compare to the stirring of
emotions generated by your participation in a (commencement)
processional."



"On your journey from success to significance, remember that the course
of your life is determined by the relationships you form, the decisions
you make, and the actions you take," she said. "I challenge you to allow
your relationships, your decisions and your actions to be influenced by
your empathy, courage, integrity, respect, passion, and most
importantly, your character."




Hawsey shared the special stories of several students who represent the
diverse backgrounds, talents, motivations and aspirations of the entire
student body. Among them were Thuom Mathiang, Marianito Crespo, Chris
Denny, Shae Thompson, Shirley Rutledge, and Roberta Armstrong.



Mathiang, a Sudanese student and Wallace State track standout, will be
attending Mississippi State on an academic and athletic scholarship next
year. Crespo, a respiratory therapy student, had relatives who traveled
all the way from the Philippines to see him graduate. Denny returned to
Wallace State after a 20 years and a change of major to complete a
computer science degree.



Rutledge, a non-traditional student attending college fulltime for the
first time, earned a business degree and plans to open her own business
this fall. Sixtysomething Roberta Armstrong earned her second Wallace
State degree in three years, this one from the human services
department. Shae Thompson, inspired by her brother who suffers from
developmental delays, will study biomedical engineering and genetics on
scholarship at UAB this fall.



Honorary presentations were made to Thompson for the Presidential Award
for Academic Excellence; to Dustin Hampton, an electronics major, for
the Presidential Award for Technical Excellence; and to Jessica Nicole
Gregory, an human services major, for the Presidential Award for Health
Sciences Excellence. These awards go to students of superior achievement
in each area and are among the highest honors presented at graduation.



This year's Presidential Award for Technical Excellence was made in
memory of former Wallace State automotive mechanics instructor Fred
Shockley, whose courage during a hard-fought battle with lung cancer
touched so many.



The Ozell Hinkle Award for Athletic Excellence was presented to
volleyball player Rebecca Schooley in memory of one of Wallace State's
most cherished supporters. A faithful attendee at all of Wallace State's
athletic events and longtime member and officer of the Wallace State
Alumni Association, Hinkle often said that Wallace State was the best
thing ever to happen to Cullman County.

David Lowery was presented the James B. Allen Award. This prestigious
award, named in honor of the former U.S. Senator and Alabama Lieutenant
Governor who was instrumental in founding the Alabama College System,
recognizes a student of outstanding academic performance and community
service.



Mona Hopper, English and speech instructor, served as Mistress of
Ceremonies. Student leader Jacob Morton gave the invocation and
benediction.




Music was provided by the Wallace State Concert Choir and Symphonic
Band. Assistant choir director Tiffany Richter performed "America."

Graduation Success Stories:



Thuom Mathiang, a native of the Sudan, came to the United States six
years ago sponsored by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees.
Mathaing is a member of the Wallace State track team and has set himself
apart as one of the nation's top 800-meter runners. He is also a member
of Phi Theta Kappa honor society. This fall, he will be attending
Mississippi State University on a full academic and athletic
scholarship, where he plans to study orthopedic sports medicine.
"Thuom's family is unable to be here but he has made a new family at
Wallace State, and today we all celebrate his graduation," said Hawsey

A couple of years ago, Filipino student Marianito "Mike" Crespo came to
Wallace State hoping for a better life. Prior to enrolling at Wallace,
he had drifted from one job to another, repairing and painting houses,
waiting tables, cleaning offices, but he was searching for a field that
would give meaning to his life. Through prayer and perseverance, he
found the Respiratory Therapy program at Wallace State. He credits a
strong faith in God and the help of instructors Dr. Paul Taylor and
Vicki Freda with giving him the strength and encouragement to overcome
problems common to non-native Americans, difficulty with the language,
and the long, grueling hours of work and study needed to complete the
program. He did so well that he's already found a job at Decatur General
Hospital. His family came all the way from the Philippines to celebrate
his success on graduation day.

Chris Denny attended the drafting program at Wallace State in the '80s.
Now Vice President of Commercial Sales for FSI's Home Products Division,
he returned to Wallace State for a degree in computer science so that he
would have the credentials to do the work he enjoys. While pursuing his
degree, Denny, the single parent of a 4-year-old daughter and two
teenage sons, maintained a 4.0 GPA and become a member of the Phi Theta
Kappa honor society.

Shae Thompson, a pre-engineering graduate, will be attending the
University of Alabama at Birmingham this fall on a Phi Theta Kappa
scholarship where she will be enrolled as a biomedical engineering
major. She is president of the Wallace State Ambassadors, and a member
of Scholars' Bowl, Phi Theta Kappa, and Who's Who Among Students at
American Junior Colleges. She has worked in the Learning Success Center
tutoring lab and as a work-study for the Physics department while also
working part-time at Johnny's Barbeque to earn money to cover college
expenses. She stays busy helping with campus activities, including
college-hosted math team and scholars' bowl tournaments, blood drives
and even as a volunteer for the Cullman County Water Festival. Thompson
plans to pursue a career in research genetics to help her brother, who
experienced developmental delays, and others like him.




Shirley Rutledge is graduating with a degree in business management and
a 4.0 GPA. Prior to entering the business program at Wallace State,
Shirley's college experience consisted of a pair of sewing classes taken
while she was a stay-at-home-mom. After her children went off to school,
she briefly worked two minimum wage jobs before returning home full-time
to take care of her mother-in-law who was battling Alzheimer's disease.
She cared for her mother-in-law for 10 years until she passed away while
also caring for her husband who died from lung cancer. Finding herself
at home alone for the first time in her life, Rutledge decided she
needed to be around people. When she saw an ad for Wallace State in the
paper, she decided that it was the right time to get started. Today,
she's making plans to be an entrepreneur. Shirley's Place, located on
County Road 222 near Trimble, will be an upscale secondhand store,
selling everything from clothing to antiques. She says the business
program, and the courage and self-esteem she gained from attending
college and excelling academically has given her the confidence to
believe she can successfully run a business.

At the young age of 65, Roberta Armstrong decided to pursue a second
college degree and enrolled in the Human Services Program at Wallace
State. Armstrong wanted to educate herself in order to make a difference
in the lives of those suffering from mental illness, an issue she holds
close to her heart because she has suffered from depression for most of
her life. Today she serves as editor of the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill Cullman chapter's monthly newsletter and has been appointed
to various mental health state consumer committees. She is also the
campus facilitator for the Depression/Bipolar Support Group. Under her
leadership, the group was awarded a grant by the Alabama Department of
Mental Health and Mental Retardation. "Roberta Armstrong is a true
role-model for any age student and has proven that age is no obstacle to
pursing higher education. She is making a difference in the lives of
others and working to change the stigma of mental illness," said Hawsey.

Marie Hopkins overcame barriers imposed on her by others and a learning
disorder first diagnosed in the seventh grade. Because of her learning
disorder, her high school counselor recommended she take special needs
programs and graduate with an occupational diploma. While her classmates
were considering colleges, she was considering job opportunities because
her teachers didn't think she could get into college. Hopkins just
wasn't satisfied with the thought of not going to college. Her father
encouraged her to earn a standard diploma. With the help of one resource
teacher and her parents, she began filling out college applications to
pursue her own dreams of a college education and the chance to help
others through a career in social work. She has completed a milestone,
but it is not the end of her journey. Her plans for the future include a
master's degree in social work and the hopes to one day become a school
guidance counselor so that she can help other students overcome the
tragedy of low expectations, as her parents and that resource teacher
did for her.




Graduation success stories. Pictured L-R: Chris Denny, Thuom
Mathiang, Shae Thompson, Shirley Rutledge, Roberta Armstrong, and Mike
Crespo.


  
                                                                          

Clockwise from top left:  Dr. Vicki Hawsey congratulates Scotty Shellnut, Dr. Vicki Hawsey and Hannah Bolton, Wesley Ivey, Members of the Class of
2007 listen to the graduation address.

  Kristen Holmes
  Director, Communications and Marketing
  Wallace State Community College
  P.O. Box 2000
  Hanceville, AL 35077
  256/352-8118
  E-mail: Kristen.Holmes@WallaceState.edu