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Fall 2018

Turning the Tassle

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The 2017-2018 academic year concluded with 13 commencement ceremonies. Ceremonies took place in Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, and Texas for the university’s education center and online students.

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Alysa Nantarojanaporn of Homestead, FL, was awarded the Thomas B. Southard Leadership Award Sabre at the undergraduate commencement on April 28. The sabre was presented to her by Virginia M. “Ginger” Judge, a member of the Board of Trustees. The sabre is given to the Army ROTC graduate who demonstrates leadership achievement in ROTC advanced camp, classes, and labs. Nantarojanaporn is the middle child of nine and the first college graduate in her family. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice.

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Spring 2018

The Latest from Dr. Lennox

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The Latest from Dr. Lennox

President Bill Lennox has remained busy in the last several months by supporting the university’s wide-ranging efforts and representing Saint Leo to the broader community.

The Fall 2017 semester had barely begun when he joined other university leadership in monitoring the tracks of and resulting damages from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. As Hurricane Irma approached Central Florida, he was among the nearly hundred staff members who remained at University Campus and ensured the safety of more than 600 students who sheltered in university buildings.

In September, Dr. Lennox was on hand at the ribbon cutting for the new ROTC space in Saint Francis Hall at University Campus.

On October 24, he delivered the keynote address to veterans at the Pasco County (FL) Board of County Commissioners Veterans Recognition Ceremony.

On November 9, Dr. Lennox welcomed veterans and active-duty military to the Military Recognition Event held at University Campus. In addition to employment opportunities, the event provided information about assistance with housing, education, stress relief, and more.

Ushering in the holiday season, he hosted the 1889 Society Christmas party on December 13. This festive event serves as a thank-you to the university’s dedicated donors.

In January, Dr. Lennox was accompanied by political science Instructor Frank Orlando, and two University Campus seniors, Cassidy Whitaker and Mark Saunders, on a visit to the Florida Legislature. Whitaker and Saunders are Saint Leo University’s representatives in the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida Presidential Fellows program. The purpose of the visit was to ask members of the legislature to continue to fund the Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG), which helps offset the cost of attendance at private colleges and universities in Florida. Whitaker and Saunders are both recipients of FRAG.

Header Photo: (Pictured left to right) Frank Orlando, Cassidy Whitaker, Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson, Mark Saunders, and Dr. Lennox

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Fall 2017

The Latest from Dr. Lennox

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President Bill Lennox continues to promote Saint Leo and support higher education throughout our community and the nation.

For the May/June 2017 issue of Trusteeship, he authored “Transitioning from the 60,000-Foot View,” an essay that describes his journey from serving on the university’s Board of Trustees to becoming Saint Leo’s ninth president.

He also wrote “Why Gov. Cuomo’s Free Tuition Plan Hurts Private Colleges,” which appeared on RealClearEducation.com in May. In this essay, he looks at New York’s recently created Excelsior Scholarship, which provides free in-state tuition for students at state universities and discusses how this and other tuition programs can affect all of higher education, including private universities.

In March, Dr. Lennox joined Saint Leo alumni and friends in marching up Fifth Avenue for New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The following month, he and other university administrators attended the 2017 Face the Chamber: Mayor’s Luncheon in Tampa, which was hosted by Saint Leo University.

During the commencement season, Dr. Lennox attended the ROTC commissioning ceremony at University Campus and congratulated the cadets for being commissioned as second lieutenants.

In May, Dr. Lennox was named vice chair of both the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and the Florida Independent College Fund (FICF).  ICUF is a group of more than 30 independent colleges and universities in Florida that work together to offer a diverse selection of higher-educational opportunities in the state.  FICF is a not-for-profit organization that collaborates with ICUF to provide expanded access to higher education for students from all backgrounds. Dr. Lennox previously served as treasurer for ICUF.

In June, Saint Leo University partnered with the National Hispanic Institute to host NHI’s Collegiate World Series at University Campus. Dr. Lennox welcomed 130 high school seniors to the program (photo above) and encouraged them to reach their highest potential.

In July, Dr. Lennox welcomed attendees of the Steel Mags Summer Summit retreat to University Campus. The Steel Mags Sorority was founded in 2009 by the Green Beret Foundation to support the spouses, daughters, and sisters of those serving in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

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Fall 2016

Turning the Tassel

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The Saint Leo University alumni ranks grew to more than 80,000 this year with commencement ceremonies taking place from coast to coast. At University Campus, close to 1,200 students graduated during three ceremonies held April 29 and 30. Those events kicked off the “commencement season” for Saint Leo with 15 more ceremonies being held near education centers throughout May and June. Click the photos to learn more.

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Abena Ankomah ’11, ’16 earning her MBA

achonwaFlashback to 2014:
Chukwudi Peter Achonwa ’14

Originally from Imo state in southern Nigeria, Chukwudi Peter Achonwa has lived and worked across the Niger River in neighboring Delta state for more than 20 years. His home is in the city of Warri, which is not far from the Gulf of Guinea.

His entire life, Achonwa had never been outside Nigeria.
That was until May 2014, when the Saint Leo University online student—and now alumnus—boarded a plane and traveled for nearly 24 hours to arrive in Florida and attend commencement at University Campus.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting that day, and now he is an accountant in his native country. He hopes to earn a master’s degree and a PhD in his field.

Mary Beth Erskine, web content writer, posted a longer story about Chukwudi Peter Achonwa on Saint Leo’s online blog.

grad_4Want to see more photos from the Class of 2016 ceremonies? Be sure to visit
this page.

 

 

 

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