Lebanon Valley College Celebrates 154th Commencement
Michele Buck, Hershey CEO, received an honorary doctorate; Pedro Rivera, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, was the keynote speaker at the graduate-level ceremony.
Annville, PA (05/13/2023) — Nearly 360 students in the Lebanon Valley College Class of 2023 celebrated their educational and personal accomplishments during a morning Commencement Ceremony today. Another 145 graduate-level students participated in a separate ceremony at 2 p.m. Both ceremonies were held in the Louis A. Sorrentino '54 Gymnasium.
Dr. Kristen Boeshore, director of pre-medical professions and professor of biology, was the morning's featured Commencement speaker by virtue of being named the Vickroy Award winner (see below) during the 2022 Commencement Celebration. Pedro A. Rivera II, president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, was the afternoon keynote speaker. Michele Buck, chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of The Hershey Company, received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the morning ceremony.
Along with honoring graduates, LVC revealed the winners of the following major annual awards:
H. Anthony Neidig Award (LVC's top student award)-Daelyn Stabler '23, biology: Daelyn will attend the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine this fall.
This year's prize was made possible thanks to the generosity of Kathy Neidig Calabrese and Tony Calabrese, both LVC Class of 1973, in honor of Kathy's father, Dr. Tony Neidig '43, H'04, and mother, Gene Bowman Neidig.
Thomas Rhys Vickroy Distinguished Teacher Award (LVC's top honor for a full-time faculty member)-Dr. Holly Wendt, director of creative writing and associate professor of English and creative writing.
Nevelyn J. Knisley Award (LVC's top part-time or adjunct College faculty member)-Jennifer M. Thornsberry, biology lab technician.
Dr. Andrew Owen, assistant professor of sociology, received the Educator of the Year Award from Student Government members on Friday, April 21. This honor is bestowed annually on a member of the full-time faculty who embodies the transformative power of the LVC experience, in and out of the classroom.
Also on April 21, Helen "Polly" Trawitz, night supervisor for Metz Culinary Management, received the inaugural Administrator or Staff Member of the Year Award. This award is presented to a non-faculty member who has significantly impacted a student's time at LVC.
About Lebanon Valley College
Lebanon Valley College, founded in 1866, offers bachelor's degrees in more than 50 majors; master's degrees in accounting (MBA 3+1), applied kinesiology, athletic training, business administration, clinical exercise physiology, clinical mental health counseling, education, intelligence and security studies, music education, school counseling, science in STEM education, speech-language pathology, and sport performance; a doctoral degree in physical therapy; ACT 48 continuing education for educator credits; and certificates in comprehensive curriculum & assessment for PreK-12, healthcare management, integrative STEM education, leadership & ethics, marketing, modern band, online teaching & learning, project management, social, emotional, & behavioral wellness, sport enhancement, supply chain management & logistics, and trauma-informed counseling. Located eight miles from Hershey, Pennsylvania, this college of 1,600 undergraduate and 400+ graduate students produces alumni who attend prestigious graduate and professional schools and are employed by top companies and school districts.
Thirty-one percent of our students are first generation (40% of first-year class), 21% of fall 2022 first-year students were Pell-eligible, and 100% of the fall 2021 incoming class received grant or scholarship aid from LVC. More than 35% of our students participate on our 27 NCAA Division III athletic teams or eSports teams, and, our students volunteer more than 20,000 hours of community service during the academic year.
