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  • CHRISTINE BARNES

    CHRISTINE BARNES

  • DEBORAH WILES

    DEBORAH WILES

  • BRIANA WATSON

    BRIANA WATSON
December 12, 2012

Local colleges plan winter graduations

FSU’s 141st commencement set Wednesday

For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News

FROSTBURG — Frostburg State University will celebrate and recognize the achievements of its December 2012 graduating class during the university’s 141st commencement ceremonies on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Harold J. Cordts Physical Education Center’s Main Arena on the FSU campus.

Jonathan C. Gibralter, FSU president, will confer degrees on graduates from the colleges of Business, Education and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Christine Barnes, College of Education; Deborah Wiles, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Briana “Bobbie” Watson, College of Business, are the featured student speakers for the winter commencement exercises.

Barnes will graduate as an early childhood/elementary education major. She has excelled in her studies, pursuing her goal of becoming a teacher since she was young. She demonstrates a passion for teaching. Her professors commend her on her ability to differentiate instructions for all students, adjust to individual levels and manage her lessons using varied strategies.

While at FSU, Barnes participated in the Frostburg Student Education Association, Colleges Against Cancer, Student Alumni Ambassadors and worked as a substitute teacher in Washington County. She served as an intern at Myersville Elementary, Cash Valley Elementary, Beall Elementary and a Head Start in Cumberland. Barnes’ professors describe her as having a strong work ethic, being motivated, responsible, skilled and caring with her students, which will contribute to her success.

Wiles will graduate with a double major in mathematics and English. She transferred to FSU from Allegany College of Maryland. She has been inducted into Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, and Kappa Mu Epsilon, the Mathematics honor society. As a McNair Scholar, she has presented mathematics work at the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Summer Institute.

She is a member of the American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Association of America, Association for Women in Mathematics and Association of Writers and Writing Programs. She has served FSU students as a math instructor, and serves at ACM as a math and writing tutor. Her professors describe her as passionate about anything math and everything English. Her professors say she is a jump-starter, inspiring to others and a student leader in and out of the classroom.

Watson will graduate as a business administration major, with a concentration in marketing and a minor in psychology. She was the recipient of the Hera Award as Greek Woman of the Year and has active leadership roles in the President’s Leadership Circle; Delta Zeta Sorority; Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society; and Order of Omega.

Watson represented FSU at two distinguished leadership conferences, the First International Youth Leadership Conference in the United Arab Emirates and Beta Gamma Sigma’s National Leadership Conference in South Carolina. She has served FSU students as the vice president of marketing for the University Programming Council and as the online marketing coordinator and “SpotlightOnline” director for the FSU Social Marketing Team.

She is admired by her professors for her ability to balance high-caliber academic work with many leadership roles in organizations and maintain professional demeanor, poise and maturity.

Provost Stephen Simpson; Clarence Golden, dean of the College of Education; Ahmad Tootoonchi, dean of the College of Business; and Joseph Hoffman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will present candidates for degrees during commencement.

Tickets are required for admission to the winter commencement, but the ceremony will be streamed live online; to view the ceremony, visit www.frostburg.edu/live on the day of commencement. For more information, visit the commencement website at www.frostburg.edu/events/commencement.

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