Students pray during the morning commencement at Anderson University.
During the morning ceremony, graduates of the Center for Cybersecurity, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, and the School of Public Service and Administration received their degrees.
During the afternoon ceremony, graduates of the College of Christian Studies, College of Health Professions, Center for Leadership and Organizations, and South Carolina School of the Arts received their degrees.
Dr. Paige Ellisor-Catoe, faculty chair and Associate Professor of English, was the commencement speaker. Dr. Ellisor-Catoe has served as the English 101/102 Coordinator since 2016; she was the lead author for the institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan, AU PRO; and she has been named a Digital Learning Innovator by the Anderson University Center for Innovation and Digital Learning. Dr. Ellisor-Catoe also won the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award in 2020. She joined the Anderson University faculty in 2011.
Dr. Ellisor-Catoe spoke about the joy of receiving gold stars for achievement and recalled her childhood pursuit of plaques and other awards for academic achievements. She compared awards based on performance with participation trophies being increasingly given to youngsters for just showing up. When she had to face her husband’s recent battle with cancer, Dr. Ellisor-Catoe recalled many students, colleagues, people from church and others who “showed up” to help her while she was caring for him.
“While we are quick to dismiss just showing up as lacking special skill or merit, the truth is that showing up is what we most need people to do. People showing up to love and care for our family in our greatest time of need kept us going in the midst of crisis,” said Dr. Ellisor-Catoe, adding that, thankfully, her husband has been cancer-free for the past two years. She encouraged graduates to “show up” in the lives of others, following Christ’s commands in Mark 12:29-31 to love God and “love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Graduates, I am happy to award you all gold stars for the degrees you earn today, and I encourage you to aim even higher to go out and earn yourself a participation trophy,” she concluded.
After presenting degrees to the graduates, President Evans Whitaker, Ph.D., welcomed them into the growing community of thousands of Anderson University alumni, stating that commencement doesn’t mark an ending but a new beginning.
Anderson University Provost, Dr. Ryan Neal, presented the graduates’ degrees as Information Services Office and Telecommunications Manager Kevin Selman went through the roll call of graduates.
In addition to degrees presented to the graduates, a posthumous degree and Denmark Society Honor Cord was presented in the morning ceremony to the family members of Alex McMinn, who passed away earlier this fall, during his final semester.
“Each moment of your future is a commencement and is filled with choice and possibility. The choices you make and the actions you take from this moment forward will determine how extraordinary your life will be…. And though your lives will be filled with choice and change, there is a constant upon which you can always rely, and that is that your life and the life of Anderson University are forever linked,” Dr. Whitaker said.
An honorary Doctor of Humanities degree was presented to Dean Woods in the 10 a.m. ceremony. Woods, who is President of the Foothills Community Foundation in Anderson, served Anderson University for nearly 30 years in the Office of Development, completing his tenure as the vice president for institutional advancement. As a student, he served as student body president. Woods was recognized for his desire to improve the wellbeing of people in his community.
Woods said, “It has been a unique pleasure to see the growth and development of Anderson University and I know when you come back as alumni in years to come that you will be astonished at the continued growth and development.”
Also, an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree was presented to Carol Burdette in the 4 p.m. ceremony. Burdette, who is Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of Anderson County, has served as a council member and mayor of Pendleton, has served on numerous boards and has been actively involved in community organizations as a staff member or volunteer. She is also a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian award.
Burdette said, “It is difficult to respond to such an honor without tears today, but Dr. Whitaker, I want to thank you and I want to say today that there is no institution of higher education that I would rather receive this from than this Christian institution of Anderson university.”
Other highlights of the commencement ceremonies included the tolling of the university bell by Professor of English and macebearer Dr. Bob Hanley; the invocation given by Vice President for Christian Life Dr. Tracy Jessup; the singing of “O Come All Ye Faithful” and the Centennial Alma Mater, “The Sounds of Anderson,” directed in the morning ceremony by Associate Profesor of Music Dr. Seth Kilen and in the afternoon ceremony by Professor of Music Dr. Richard A. Williamson; and the benediction in the morning ceremony by Associate Professor of Communication Elecia Frelix; and in the afternoon ceremony by Associate Professor of Leadership and Organization Dr. Anthony Caito. Jerrad Fenske was the organist.
Videos of each commencement ceremony can be viewed on the Anderson University YouTube Page:
