152 Degrees Conferred During Spring Commencement

Converse College conferred 152 degrees during the college’s 113th commencement on May 21st.

In her address to the Class of 2005, former New Mexico State Senator Ramsay Lea Gorham ’73 reflected upon her Converse years, and encouraged the graduates to appreciate their Converse experience. “I can clearly see how my years as a Converse student prepared me for life,” she said. “An internship led to my first job in Washington, DC, and a study/travel trip to France helped me to gain a more broad understanding of a culture with people who think different than I. But most importantly, many of my Converse professors served as some of the best mentors one could ever ask for. Whether you realize it or not, people around you throughout your life have been preparing you for the walk towards your destiny. You are our generation’s harvest, and you have been trained well.”

Special Awards Presented During Commencement
Graduating senior Andrea Dawn Weatherman and community leader Sara Ellis Lehner ’74 were presented with the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award for their demonstrated exemplary citizenship through their positive influence and special achievements within the community.

Weatherman, a native of Due West, SC, is a music major with cum laude honors . She was commended for her insight, dedication, and genuine desire to serve and to share with those around her. Her service to Converse and the larger community includes extensive involvement with the Converse SGA, the service-oriented Crescent organization, Mortar Board, numerous mission trips, working as a tutor with elementary school students and serving as a youth leadership counselor. Lehner was recognized for her service to the Spartanburg Day School and Converse as a volunteer, her work with the Spartanburg County Foundation to promote the Citizen Scholars Program, and her organization of community centers, book and study clubs, and continuing education programs.

Carissa Lee Brown, a music and English major from Charleston, SC, was presented with the Pi Kappa Lambda Award, which is given to the senior with the highest academic record in the Petrie School of Music.

Amy Lynn Stahl, an English major from Orlando, FL, was awarded the Elford C. Morgan Award for having the highest academic record in the College of Arts and Sciences at Converse.

Dr. Laura Feitzinger Brown, Associate Professor of English, was presented with the Kathryne Amelia Brown Award, which is given to a faculty member who has excelled in the classroom.

Members of the Petrie School of Music’s Musicology and Composition Department were presented with the Curriculum Innovation Award.

Dr. John M. Theilmann, Professor of History and Politics, was presented with the Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award.

Dr. Scott Robbins, Associate Professor and Chair of the Musicology and Composition Department, was presented with the O’Herron Award for Faculty Excellence. The award is given to a faculty member who demonstrates exceptional teaching effectiveness, creativity, mentoring and advising, involvement in student-related activities, and achievement in research and publication.