Congratulations to Earlham’s Class of 2019
Earlham College celebrated the Class of 2019 during its 172nd Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 11, at the Druley Performance Gymnasium in the Athletics and Wellness Center.
Associate Professor of Experimental Social Psychology and Faculty Director of EPIC Programs Maggie Thomas presented the Baccalaureate Address, “Teaching Old Dogs.”
The College awarded 197 undergraduate degrees representing nearly 40 areas of study. The Earlham School of Religion awarded eight master’s degrees — five in divinity and three in Religion — and a certificate for ministry of writing. The College’s Graduate Programs in Education recognized 12 graduates, five earning the Master of Arts in Teaching and seven earning the Master of Arts in Education.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” says Carley Carpenter, a Neuroscience major from Independence, Kentucky. “I definitely loved my major. I came here planning to major in biochemistry, which is pretty different. But then I found out I loved the brain and learning about humans and human science. I was definitely put on my right path coming to Earlham.”
After commencement, Carpenter will continue her education at the Christ College of Nursing in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“I’m excited that my journey is continuing and I get to continue to spread knowledge and love through the nursing field,” she says.
Haki Johnson, a Geology major from Takoma Park, Maryland, said he dramatically shaped his worldview on campus – and beyond.
“Over these four years I’ve started to expand my social group and learned new perspectives by talking to people about weird things I knew nothing about,” Johnson said. “I love hearing their stories.”
One of the highlights of Johnson’s education was traveling to Nicaragua and volunteering with a non-government organization focused on advocacy for women’s and children’s rights.
“I wanted more of a hands-on experience working and living with people who speak Spanish regularly,” he said. “It was a very interesting time. I had a lot of valuable experiences, even with a language barrier, and learning to understand people with very different realities from myself.”
Other graduates from the Class of 2019, include:
- Arish Mudra Rakshasa, a Neuroscience and Biochemistry double major from Ghaziabad, India, is the recipient of a prestigious Watson Fellowship. His $30,000 fellowship will support international travel and research to further his campaign to eradicate HIV/AIDS during the 2019-20 academic year.
- Anh Ngyyen, a history major from Thanh Hoa, Vietnam, is the winner of the Neubauer Family Foundation Distinguished Scholar Doctoral Fellowship from the University of Chicago.
- Nicole Gruszka, a Peace and Global Studies and Politics double major from Westfield, Indiana, is a Fulbright award winner who will conduct research on contemporary exorcism in rural Poland during the next academic year.
- Aishat Sadiq, a Neuroscience major from Houston, Texas, is Earlham’s 2019 Peace Prize Recipient. Her “Healing Hearts and Building Bridges” proposal will add mental health education and referral services to existing immigration and refugee support available in New York City’s immigrant communities.
The College also recognized five retiring professors and administrators: Tim McLarnan (Mathematics), Kathy Milar (Psychology), Dan Rosenberg (Sociology/Anthropology), Christine Swafford (Spanish and Hispanic Studies) and Randall Wisehart (Graduate Programs in Education).