Southwestern Michigan College recognized 102 students who will graduate with honors at the college’s 43rd commencement on May 1.

The annual SMC Honors Reception, held recently in the Fred L. Mathews Conference Center East, showcased students who earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

“Every year Southwestern Michigan College takes pride in the quality of education it is able to give its students,” said college President Dr. David Mathews, who welcomed the students and their families and friends to the event. “This quality speaks for itself by the number of students graduating with honors each year. It is SMC’s goal to ensure its students have a solid educational foundation when they transfer to another university or enter the workforce.”

Honor student Christiana Dubs, of Berrien Center, was also named to the All-Michigan Academic Team and was recognized for her scholarly achievement in Lansing recently.
Dubs was nominated by the SMC-chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for her outstanding academic performance and service to the college and community. She received an All-Michigan Academic Team medallion and was also nominated to the USA Today All-USA Community College Academic Team. She plans on attending Moody Bible Institute to study linguistics after graduating from SMC.

The guest speaker for the reception was Dr. James Wierman, a Dowagiac physician in Internal Medicine, who spoke on the elimination of poverty. Dr. Wierman received the Michigan State Medical Society’s “Volunteers Who Make a Difference” award in 2007 for more than 40 years of service as a volunteer for medical work in Haiti and Rwanda. He currently leads an annual volunteer mission to rural Haiti sponsored by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, in Dowagiac, where he is a member and served on the vestry.

Musical entertainment was provided by the college’s Select Voices, directed by David Carew, SMC’s director of Choral Music.
Below are the honors graduates:

Baroda
Sarah Ginger
Jaimie Harris

Berrien Center
Christina Dubs

Berrien Springs
Davis Gumbo
Kimberly Witzel

Bridgman
Chelsea Hall

Buchanan
Sharon Arnold
Kaitlyn Bicard
Melanie Hutchison
Troy Lyons
Ashley Riedel
David Rohl
Victoria Slucas
Kendaleth VanLue
Scott Warner

Cassopolis
Adam Bauer
Michele Brady
Joanna Carey
Kara Simmons
Kerry Sparks
Stephanie Wickett

Coloma
Keith Krieger

Decatur
Emilee Johnson

Dowagiac
Diatra Baker
Stephanie Barnas
Tiffany Barrett
Carrie Brosnan
Alyssa Cox
Victoria Ferrell
Samuel Greene
Lindsay Heidenreich
Donald Higgs
Joshua Jerz
Ashleigh Karn
Caleb Kasper
Robert Krukowski
Rachel Longden
Stephanie Luke
Ryan Russom
Kayla Saviano
Loretta Smith
Amber Wallace

Eau Claire
Jason Burks
Mackenzie Burks
Michelle Oliver

Edwardsburg
Hannah Breden
Richard Farkas
Stephen Mechling
Marsha Robinson
David Sinkiewicz

Elkhart, Ind.
Julie Lochmandy

Galien
Jason Hock

Grand Ledge
Scott Brandenburg

Hartford
Jeffery Styx

Jones
Kevin Jones

Lawrence
Theresa Garrod

Lawton
Kelsey Hovey

Marcellus
Nicole Green
Haylie McKenzie
Anne Presley
Emily Steinkraus
Gretchen Szeszulski

Mishawaka, Ind.
Nicola DeCicco
Sara Mayo

New Buffalo
Samantha Henderson

Niles
Angel Brown
Benjamin Cabe
Jeffrey Carrick
Amanda Compoe
Paula Cox
Wendy Davis
Nickolas Fedore
Amanda Fox
Melissa Fox
Elaine Gartland
Patricia Hendrick
Kevin Jackson
Paulette Johnson
Jason Kope
Chandel Lawrence
Alexandr Mashkin
Stacey O’Hara
Joshua Pugh
Danielle Rothwell
Amy Santos
Angelenia Shivers
Glenda Tyler
Mark Yarrish

Paw Paw
Jessica Winner

Saint Joseph
Katharine Kregg
Jay Pendergrass

Sodus
Felicia Rounds

South Bend, Ind.
Dawn Pontius
Cecilia Maina
James Thompson
Paul McGinty

Stevensville
Muta Mwenya

Sturgis
Kaitlynn Schultz

Union
Jacqueline Becker

Vandalia
Kayla Green
Ashli Hickman

Watervliet
Donald Sexton