Seniors Attend Graduation Luncheon; Honor Top Students and Make Gift to College

(Pictured left to right: Derwin Pritchett, Julie Kessler, Dean Braun, and Collin Newton)

Seniors gathered for their Graduation Luncheon with one of their last opportunities to enjoy conversations with their classmates, faculty, and staff.  Dean Ray Braun recognized the finalists for the College’s Karl E. Vogt Outstanding Senior Award, named in honor of a former dean of the College of Business. Typically one senior is selected, however this year it was difficult to choose, so three well-deserving seniors were presented the top award - Julie Kessler, Collin Newton, and Derwin Pritchett II. (Read more about Karl Vogt winners.)

Also the graduating senior with the highest GPA was honored by Delta Sigma Pi, the business professional fraternity. This year two students tied for the highest GPA – Emily Crum and Phil Rich. Delta Sigma Pi’s faculty advisor Ruth White, marketing, made the presentation.

With a new business building coming in 2020, the seniors wanted to provide the College with a class legacy for the Maurer Center. During the luncheon, Miranda Dubler, a senior College of Business Student Ambassador (left), presented the Class of 2018 Gift of funding for a Welcome Center to Karly DeGroot, director of development and liaison to the College, along with Dean Ray Braun. Those graduating seniors who have given at least $10/month for five years ($600), will have their names inscribed at the Welcome Center.

The luncheon ended with seniors hearing their “Last Lecture” from Dr. Gene Poor, the Ernest and Dorothy Hamilton Endowed Professor in Entrepreneurial Leadership. The interesting fact is this group of students heard their “First Lecture” from the same professor when they arrived on campus as freshmen during Opening Day.

The entrepreneurship professor shared his more than 50 years of teaching and mentoring students. Dr. Poor told the seniors they are living in the Age of Acceleration and their career journey would be in a disruptive world. His advice included the following points:

• You need to know what your time is worth and what value you bring to the workplace.
• You will be judged on how fast you do a task as well as how good a job you did.
• You will need to solve problems for others or else you are a problem.
• You are a brand; control it!
• You need to know the “why.” What are you meant to do?

Dean Braun wished the seniors lifelong success and encouraged them to return to campus as alumni and impact the lives of college students as alumni had done for them.