During spring semester 2019, 112 Ferrum College student-athletes earned academic honors: 33 student-athletes were named to the President’s List (4.0 GPA for the semester), while 79 student-athletes earned Dean’s List recognition (3.40 GPA or greater for the semester). Women’s soccer had the greatest number of students on the President’s List, with six student-athletes reaching the 4.0 milestone. Football led the way in Dean’s List honors, with 16 student-athletes earning this distinction.
Following are the list of honorees, by sport.
Joshua GreenwayRaekwon GiggettsLance KeiserKoby McMahonGraham Doucette
Hampus EspelandLacey Bishop
Layura Henley
Morgan McCoy
Carly Nelson
Cheyenne StricklandAmetria Booker
Morgan McCoy
Cheyenne StricklandKelsey Mosley
Margaret SelfHunter TharpeMicaela HarveyMikayla Cannaday
Miranda Dougherty
Brady Hentz
Jenna Janicki
Alex Mattson
Payton StuartElina Baltins
Mariah Banks
Kristen Morris
Nancy ShoafHunter Tharpe
Hailee Green
Chelsea ZizziLeya DeickmanBrandon Harrison
Kyle Anstice
Cory Peel
Jacob Tomlin
Nathaniel Anthony
Noah Collins
Timothy Ortega
Connor Dopp
William ReddCortney Crawford
Raven MartinGloria Wood
Emma WilliamsLindsay Koogler
Sierra Magdaleno
Raven Martin
Kelsy MaysCary Beverly
Hunter Berrier
Daniel Mitchell
Mark Camp
Tanner Kennedy
Adam Keiser
Brian Mann
Robert Grande
Nicolas Cook
Lawrence Baranski
Benjamin Reynolds
Quentin Wallace
Benjamin Foster
Roshun Patterson
Jeremy Quarles
Dakota CrouseRobert WattsEvan Henken-Siefken
John Sheehan
Alec Kendrick
Jacob Boswell
Travis Murray
Cole LipinskiJason Anstice
Cole Lipinski
Marcus Trotman
Moore Dolue
JaKaron Timmons
Peter Khraish
Robert Watts
Derek Thomas
Samuel MayTaylor Darnell
Jonathan KraftSamuel May
Moore Dolue
Brandon Carter
Patrick MarshPedro Arrocena-JacuindeBrandi Woods
Arielle Eure
Kassie Widner
Haley Blaisure
Allison McGeheeKelli Mounce
Arin BunkerJordan ThompsonLauren Jutras
Megan AllenCayla Berry
Victoria Wagner
Alexis McCargo
Abigale Light
Taylor Dodson
Gabriella KermonAlexandria Dixon
Autum Murray-BurnsCynthia Aldama
Marissa Ruiz
Katrina Anderson
Kristin PerryKassie Widner
Bethany ShortCharles Tisby
Ferrum College’s 103rd commencement speaker is Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, an advocate for inclusion within the United Methodist Church. He is pictured here with his wife, Melissa.
Advocate for inclusion, Rev. Bruce Hitchcock, believes all are welcome within the United Methodist church. He will address Ferrum College’s 103rd graduating class as commencement speaker on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 10 a.m. in Hart International Plaza on the College’s campus. Over 200 seniors are expected to walk the commencement stage to receive their undergraduate degrees.
Hitchcock, who currently serves as Ohio Valley District superintendent, believes “a Christian [can be] a brother and a sister of someone who has a different thought. We have to discover God within, in other people, and all around us, and the more we do that, the more human, the more decent, the more compassionate we become.”
United Methodist Church Bishop Tracy Malone described Hitchcock as “a visionary leader, a strategic thinker, and one who brings many learnings and experiences from serving in a variety of ministry settings. He has a deep faith and has demonstrated throughout his ministry a strong commitment to discipleship, evangelism, and mission.”
President David Johns met Rev. Hitchcock during their college days and the two remained in contact throughout the years. “I am pleased Bruce Hitchcock will join us for this year’s commencement ceremony,” said Johns. “We both grew up in Ohio and I am eager to introduce him to Virginia’s Blue Ridge and to the fine people of Ferrum College.”
Read more about Rev. Bruce Hitchcock in this East Ohio Conference announcement and in this Herald-Star article.
More about Rev. Bruce Hitchcock: Hitchcock was ordained a deacon in 1987 and then an elder in 1989. While serving as pastor of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Carroll County, Ohio, he obtained his bachelor’s degree from Malone College, and then his Masters of Divinity from United Theological Seminary while pastoring State Road United Methodist Church in Germantown, Ohio. Additionally, he has served other Methodist churches: East Rochester-Bayard UMC (1989-1993), East Sparta UMC (1993-1996), and Huron UMC (1996-2002). Hitchcock worked as executive director of Urban Mission for nine years before pastoring at Geneva UMC in the Western Reserve District from 2011 to 2018. Hitchcock currently resides in Ohio with his wife, Melissa. They have two sons and one daughter.
The International Music Club and the Office of International Programs attended the Southwest Virginia Ballet’s production of Stravinski’s Firebird at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke. After the ballet, students and faculty had a Venezuelan dinner at Leonore Restaurant. It was an international evening of art and fun!
The Office of International Programs and the Office of the Provost have signed an articulation agreement with API Abroad, a company that offers various Study Abroad opportunities. Ferrum College students, working with the faculty in their majors and with the Director of International Programs, will be able to fit various Study Abroad courses into their degree plans. We have semester, year-long, summer, and faculty-led programs, as well as internships, service learning, and teaching opportunities in countries all over the world. You can take a look at the offerings on their web site: https://apiabroad.com/
To plan out your Study Abroad experience, please contact Dr. Sagasti Suppes: psuppes@ferrum.edu.
The fourth annual Moonshine Heritage Car Show will take place at Ferrum College on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. This unique car show will showcase vehicles that were actual transporters of moonshine or the type of vehicle that was used for the hauling of illegal spirits. Admission is free so bring the family for a day of fun!
There will be plenty of storytelling and bragging about the exploits and history of these special cars and trucks from the actual drivers. After the show, participants will cruise down to Twin Creeks Distillery in Rocky Mount for a moonshine tasting. Also visit the special moonshine souvenir tent with models of stills, mash sticks, and Virginia is for Moonshine Lovers hats, t-shirts, and bumper stickers.
Food will be available onsite from the legendary Bowling’s Hotdogs of Waidsboro.
This event is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum of Ferrum College with the assistance of the Outlaw Cruisers Car Club of Franklin County, VA.
For more information, call the Blue Ridge Institute at 540-365-4416 or email bri@ferrum.edu. To register a car for the car show, please complete a registration form here: https://ferrumcollege.wufoo.com/forms/m17zr5tu1d37fh6/.
To learn more about the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, visit: http://www.ferrum.edu/blueridgeinstitute/.
Ferrum College Theatre Arts will present Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart April 24 – 26, at 7 p.m., in the Black Box Theatre in Schoolfield Hall on campus. Entrance is free for Ferrum College students and faculty; $5 for non-Ferrum College students; and $10 for adults. Reserve tickets here. This production contains adult language and situations.
Set in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, three sisters, each with unique life circumstances including spinsterhood, a failed career, and the possibility of jail time, await their grandfather’s death in the local hospital. Through hilarious yet touching twists and turns, the sisters escape their pasts and make strides toward their futures. A New York Times review remarked: “While this play overflows with infectious high spirits, it is also, unmistakably, the tale of a very troubled family. Such is Miss Henley’s prodigious talent that she can serve us pain as though it were a piece of cake.”
The play, which won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, has been described by the New York Post as having “heart, wit, and a surprisingly zany passion that must carry all before it…it would certainly be a crime for anyone interested in the theatre not to see this play.”
Learn more about Ferrum College Theatre Arts here.
More about Beth Henley: Henley’s plays have been translated into over ten languages. Broadway productions include Crimes of the Heart and The Wake of Jamey Foster. Off-Broadway productions include: The Miss Firecracker Contest; Am I Blue; The Lucky Spot; The Debutante Ball; Abundance; Impossible Marriage; and Family Week. Her additional works have premiered at the McCarter Theatre and South Coast Repertory Theatre (Ridiculous Fraud); the Geffen Theatre (The Jacksonian, 2012); and Studio Theatre (Laugh, 2015). Awards include: the Pulitzer Prize in Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best American Play (Crimes of the Heart); American Theatre Wing 1998 Award for Distinguished Achievement in Playwriting and Susan Smith Blackburn Finalist (Crimes of the Heart and Ridiculous Fraud); Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award (2000); New York Stage and Film Honoree (2007); and ATHE Career Achievement Award (2010). Henley hails from Jackson, Mississippi; serves as a theatre arts presidential professor at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles; and is a member of The Fellowship of Southern Writers, the Dramatist Guild and the Academy of Arts and Science.
President David Johns recently announced a generous gift from Ms. Irma Smart of Axton, VA to initiate a Ferrum College Women’s Golf program. The gift provides start-up funds for the program, training, and other opportunities for student-athletes.
As a former member of the Ferrum College Board of Trustees, an avid golfer, and a member of the Chatmoss Country Club in Martinsville, VA, Smart says, “Our golfers travel to tournaments around the country and are ambassadors for the College and the sport. Golf’s unique in that it’s scored individually and as a team, so it builds a sense of personal integrity and responsibility. It’s my pleasure to be able to extend that opportunity and experience to a whole new set of student athletes. And – since golf isn’t a spectator sport, there are fewer opportunities to raise funds for the program. I’m hoping that the publicity surrounding the gift will inspire others to support Ferrum College programs – both athletic and academic.”
Ferrum College currently fields 22 NCAA Division III teams and moved from the USA South to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in the 2018-2019 school year. The Panthers have sponsored a men’s golf team for almost 50 years into the late 1960s, and had club competition back as far as 1954.
“I’m very proud of the Ferrum College golf program,” says eighth-year head men’s golf coach Adam Crawford, who will also coach the women’s team. “We’ve built a remarkably successful program so I’m excited about adding the women’s team to continue that tradition. Ms. Smart’s donation will allow us to enhance the total experience for students and help us compete for championships. I think the timing is fantastic especially as we transition into the ODAC. I’m deeply appreciative of her willingness to make a difference in the lives of our students and I’m very optimistic about the interest I’ve already received from potential students regarding the program.”
This commitment to student athletes has allowed the College to launch seven new varsity sports in recent years – with women’s golf as the eighth. According to President Johns, “Athletics has always been an important aspect of a Ferrum College education. Being able to offer successful varsity and club programs brings motivated students to Ferrum from all over the country – and that makes for greater experiences for all students. I think I speak for all of us when I say we believe that intercollegiate athletics create meaningful opportunities to learn how to win throughout life. In partnership with academics, team sports develop lasting values of cooperation, respect, and individual excellence. Adam Crawford, and all of our coaches for that matter, are teachers and mentors who work year round to make sure our students succeed not just on the field, but in the classroom as well.”
The gift will substantially add to the College’s ability to assist students through the Daniel Family Endowed Scholarship and will complete the College’s John W. and Ethelyne Fulcher Daniel Field in the W.B. Adams stadium, a state-of-the-art artificial turf surface used by all Panther field sports.
Over many years, the Daniel family’s generosity supported campus building projects and renovations, academic programs, and student scholarship. The Spilman-Daniel House, home to the Admissions department, Grousbeck Hall Music Center, Roberts Hall containing both the John & Ethelyne Daniel Wing and the Daniel-Bell Service Learning Center all owe part or all of their existence to the family.
“We will be forever grateful to Ethelyne Daniel for her dedication to Ferrum students and to the College motto, ‘Not Self, But Others.’ From her leadership on the Board of Trustees and the Daniel Company construction projects to the renovation of Roberts Hall and the Daniel Endowed Scholarship, her influence touched Ferrum College, not just through this completed planned gift, but in many ways for many years,” said former Ferrum College President Dr. Jennifer Braaten, at the time of the gift.
One of the most loyal – and most modest – of alumnae, Patrick County native Ethelyne Fulcher Daniel ’43 became synonymous with progress on the Ferrum College campus. After completing her Associate of Arts degree at the institution, she began a life devoted to service and Christian ministries and education. While serving in a United Methodist church in Danville, Virginia, she met and married local businessman John W. Daniel who served as the chairman of the Daniel Group and president of the John W. Daniel Company.
After two terms on the Board of Trustees, Daniel was elected to the status of Trustee Emerita. Despite receiving honors such as Lifetime Honorary membership on the Alumni Board of Directors and the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award, she eschewed publicity, preferring to serve quietly and without fanfare. She always gave credit to God and to her husband, in that order, for providing her with the ability to give back and contributed to the innumerable charities and Christian causes dear to her heart – including Ferrum College.
“Ethelyne will be remembered without peer for her impact on Ferrum College,” continued Dr. Braaten. “She answered questions with a smile, was always thoughtful and deliberate, and her sincerity resonated with everyone with whom she came into contact.”
Recruitment for members of the newest rendition of the Ferrum College band began some time ago but it wasn’t until trustee Clay Campbell discovered the initiative that real progress was made.
Campbell joined the Ferrum College Board of Trustees in 2014 and brought his business expertise, spirit of competition, and strong sense of community to campus. As president of Martinsville Speedway, Campbell incorporates music into every race and in all Speedway celebrations. He has previously arranged for the Bassett, Magna Vista, and Martinsville High School bands to join forces to play the National Anthem as part of the pre-race ceremonies at a spring race.
Campbell expressed an interest in supporting a College program that might help with school spirit and this year’s transition to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, and the idea to create funding for the Panther Band was born. This generous gift from the Campbell family will help get the sound of Panther pride off to a great start. “I see the great need to help provide Ferrum students with experiences so they can compete for good jobs and a life giving back to their own communities. I think that participation in programs like athletics and band enhance their academic experience and give them a sense of belonging to something bigger than just themselves,” remarked Campbell.
Betty Forbes came into the Ferrum College family as part of the Parents’ Council during her son’s freshman year at the institution. Because of her knowledge and enthusiasm, then-president Dr. Jerry Boone appointed her to the Board of Trustees. Forbes is now one of Ferrum College’s biggest advocates and vocal supporters. “To us, Ferrum was the beacon of light that helped our son make it through college and become the person he is today,” she says. Forbes notes that everyone at the College cared about her son and called him by name, from the chaplain to the president to the men and women in dining services. The fact that faculty and staff can still do this today, despite a growing student body, is one of the aspects of Ferrum College that make it so special.
Forbes’ business expertise and work ethic are evident in her work with Ferrum College. Retiring from the mortgage industry in 2000 as president and CEO of the Mortgage Company of James River, Inc., Forbes went to work in the non-profit sector. She took a position with Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) as vice president of marketing and sponsorship shortly after her retirement. Initially, her job was to last for a period of one year, but once she got there she wanted to stay. Under her leadership, the revenue doubled and the visibility of the organization grew. In 2008, she decided to retire once again, but continued to serve on numerous community and church boards, using her experience and passion to further the mission of the Methodist church and expanding educational offerings for students of all ages.
Throughout her Ferrum College Board of Trustee service, including one term as chair, Forbes has seen many changes at the College. She notes times of transition and development, but says the Board of Trustees has always remained focused and dedicated to the mission and purpose of the institution. “Board members are always involved and we work well together for the good of the College,” she explains.
While she has seen tremendous growth at Ferrum College, Forbes also notes the difficulty of raising money for small colleges, particularly those in rural areas. She believes that if a student will give Ferrum College a chance, he or she will see the hands-on educational opportunities available and the possibility to dramatically change his or her future with education. When asked about supporting those students who enroll at Ferrum College, she says this: “There are so many parents who cannot afford college tuition and I believe those of us who have seen the final product that Ferrum can produce need to give back and support the College in a manner that will keep it financially stable and provide opportunities for others to share in that same experience.”
Forbes believes Ferrum College will continue to grow and remain strong for the reason the institution was initially founded: to provide a quality education to all students who are interested in learning, especially those for whom a college education may seem out of reach. Forbes knows that all levels of the College, from the Board of Trustees to the professors and staff members, play a role in providing a strong education. A job well done will continue to turn out students with a high level of expertise in their chosen field.
Forbes says the Ferrum College student is known for being a hard-working and capable individual who has learned to think independently and creatively. Students such as this provide a key service to our communities and are exactly the kind of students employers want to hire. “Ferrum offers such a good support system for students,” says Forbes. “It is important to have a college that provides an excellent education and a holistic approach to learning, while investing in the growth and future of its students.”
