RELEASED: June 4, 2001

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College graduated its largest senior class ever Sunday, June 3, and presented valedictorian prizes to Andrea Zawacki of Georgetown and Dan Beasley of Athens, Ala. Zawacki received the Gavin Easton Wiseman Valedictorian Prize as the top female graduate; and Beasley received the George Winston Welsh Valedictorian Prize as the top male graduate.

Rick Axtell, College chaplain and assistant professor of religion, delivered the keynote address to the senior class during a morning baccalaureate service. Formal graduation exercises were held in the afternoon, when the college recognized 255 seniors of the class.

Also during the afternoon program, senior Beverly Brooks of La Ceiba, Honduras, delivered remarks as the primary speaker for Commencement.

Brooks told a stirring story of being robbed in Mexico by a group of young men. While being held captive during the robbery, one of the young men asked Brooks how she thought it made him feel to see her living well while he was also capable of such, but lacked the opportunities necessary to succeed and had to resort to crime. Brooks, an international relations major, urged those in attendance to seek out and help those people like the young man.

"Parents, faculty, students, and friends: I invite you to revel in the joy of our accomplishments while remembering to help those like that young man in Mexico who had lost all hope for a better future and had turned to violence to make sense of this world. We have the privilege of bringing hope to others."

Baccalaureate began at 11 a.m. in Newlin Hall in Centre College's Norton Center for the Arts, and commencement began at 3 p.m. in the same facility.

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