Spring Commencement

The Rev. Matthew Schultz ’95 provides the Baccalaureate sermon.

Deborah Platt Majoras ’85 offers remarks to graduating seniors. Christian Na and Megan Douds provide a joint senior class speech.

Orr Auditorium, after 26 years, finally made its comeback to the Commencement scene this spring, replacing the Field House as the inclement weather site. The 164th

commencement ceremony, held May 12, was moved indoors this year, as inconsistent forecasts plagued the days leading up to graduation.

More than 250 students earned degrees at this year’s ceremony. Bachelor of Arts degrees were awarded to 113 students, while 128 took home Bachelor of Science degrees and eight received Bachelor of Music degrees. Additionally, 13 graduate students earned master’s degrees.

Deborah Platt Majoras ’85, exiting chair of the Westminster Board of Trustees, spoke of successful leadership and building bridges, while Dr. John P. Bonomo, professor of computer science and chair of the faculty, offered faculty remarks, reminding graduates of the importance of making a difference—large or small.

“Our hope as faculty is that you’ve learned far more than the facts and methods presented in class. We hope we’ve also taught you to have respect for one another, the deseire to perform service, and importance of listening,” Bonomo said. “These are the abilities that will allow you to make a difference when you leave here, whether large or small. We’re hoping for big imapctful things from you, but we’re also expecting a lot of little ones.”

Megan Douds and Christian Na delivered a joint senior class speech. After Na thanked “caffeine, Wikipedia, spellcheck, Twitter, Sheetz Mac-N-Cheese Bites and the Fractured Grape” for getting him to graduation day, the pair discussed their favorite personal moments and lessons learned during their four years at Westminster.

Earlier that morning at the baccalaureate service, a barefoot Rev. Matthew Schultz ’95, with paintbrush in hand, offered a unique address. While applying paint to canvas, Schultz told graduating seniors that they were made to create and build the future, but that in doing so, they must begin from a place of humility.

“What world are you going to create?” he asked.

Schultz serves as head pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage, Alaska.

See Legacy photos on page 25.

HELEN BOYLAN Distinguished Faculty Award winner

Atireless mentor and champion of students and colleagues alike, Dr. Helen Boylan—this year’s Distinguished Faculty Award recipient—is known for her visionary and transformative teaching and leadership.

Boylan, professor of chemistry and program coordinator of environmental science, was presented with the 2018 prestigious Westminster honor, a recognition of her intellect, her leadership, and her influences on both her peers and students.

She and her students have collaborated with the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition on water quality testing of passive treatment sites for abandoned mine drainage and with the Lawrence County Conservation District through the Lawrence and Mercer ALLARM program on local stream water quality. She also led Westminster’s Tiny House Project Team and worked with the New Castle School of Trades on the building of the College’s first compact living space.

Boylan has earned the respect of colleagues, students, and community members across western Pennsylvania and the United States, modeling high-impact teaching and leadership. Her research interests include environmental and forensic science applications of analytical chemistry and chemometrics. She is also an organizing committee member of the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon).

She has been with Westminster College since 2001 and currently serves as Westminster’s Gibson-Drinko Distinguished Faculty Member. Boylan earned her undergraduate degree from Westminster College and her Ph.D. from Duquesne University.

Westminster’s Distinguished Faculty Award is presented to a tenured faculty member who has demonstrated characteristics of the most outstanding faculty: intellectual vitality, effective communication skills, the ability to motivate or inspire compassion and concern for student success, collegiality, and leadership. Faculty are nominated for the award by students, alumni and colleagues.

Patrick Allston with parents Mark ’84 and Ellen Smith Allston ’85 Baylee Felger with sister Talley Felger Miller ’07 Rachel Lasecki with mother Jill Ely Lasecki ’91 Lisa Orr with parents Doug ’85 and Anne Thomas Orr ’83 Linzy Borowicz and sister Lauren Borowicz ’11 and mother Lisa Borowicz ’80 Madison Grimes with parents Jonathan ’89 and Karen Ruhl Grimes ’88 Emma Lawson with mother Joan Ziegler Lawson ’82 Katherine Shaw with mother Nancy Miller Shaw ’78 and sister Natalie Shaw ’15 Heintz ’55

parents Bill ’81 and Pam Wright May ’83 Master’s degree recipient Merrianne McGill ’05 with husband Gib McGill ’68, daughters Emily McGill ’21 and Annastacia Hanssen ’10, son-in-law Gary Hanssen ’09, and grandson and future Westminster alumnus Finley Carl Carpenter and brother Wally Carpenter ’10 Kylie Cook and grandmother Patricia DeLair Cook ’70 Megan Douds with parents William ‘89 and Dawn Dobrosky Douds ’89 and grandmother Ginny Frazier

Tyler Heintz with father Jeffrey Heintz ’81 and grandmother Lois Sanders Douds ’64

Sarah Jackson and parents Greg ’89 and Karyn Gold Jackson ’88 Adam Kaiser with parents Tim ’85 and Kristin Mezmar

John Marshall with father Dean Marshall ’89 Alden Jeffrey May with uncle Tom May ’81 and Kaiser ’86 Kyle Monteleone with

mother Heidi Ray ’87 Olivia Sniezek with mother Lynn Horchler Sniezek ’86

Kayla Warmbein with father Kevin Warmbein ’86 Lindy Young with mother

Cammy Hula Young ’84