CONWAY, Ark. (May 15, 2021) – Hendrix College celebrated its
graduates’ four years of learning, growth, and persistence today at its 137th
Commencement, held for the first time in Young-Wise Memorial Stadium. This
year’s outdoor location was chosen to accommodate coronavirus pandemic
protocols.
Hendrix conferred 226 undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degrees and
10 Master of Arts degrees in accounting. Read the full list of graduates
Before recognizing the newest class
of graduates, the College thanked four retiring faculty members—Dr. Norman
Boehm of the Department of Music, and Dr. Peg Falls-Corbitt, Dr. John Sanders,
and Dr. Lawrence Schmidt, all of the Department of Religion and Philosophy—for more
than 120 combined years of service.
“From the abrupt changes during the
spring semester of your junior year to the fully remote fall semester of your
senior year, you, the members of the Class of 2021, have overcome more
challenge and adversity than any other class in recent memory,” said Hendrix
President Ellis Arnold in his remarks to the graduates.
“Your legacy on this campus, and the
many ways that you have helped to make Hendrix a stronger institution, will
continue to inspire us long after today,” said Arnold. “For that, you have our
deepest admiration, appreciation, and respect, and we have the utmost
confidence that you will continue to demonstrate those qualities we have come
to admire as you leave Hendrix.”
The commencement address was delivered by a trio of faculty: Dr.
Gretchen Renshaw James of the Department of Music, Dr. Laura MacDonald ’09 of
the Department of Biology and Health Sciences, and Dr. Jennifer Penner of the
Department of Psychology.
Renshaw James shared some of what she has learned during the
pandemic and passed it to the graduates in “the unsolicited advice part of the
commencement speech”: listen to your body, be more than just your career, and
seek help when you need it. “Not only have you successfully completed your
education at Hendrix, but you also did it under some of the most unusual
circumstances. So I hope you’ll go forth today, proud of what you’ve achieved,
excited for what’s next. And with enough attention to yourselves so that you
can lead long lives as whole people,” she said, referencing the College motto, unto
the whole person.
MacDonald pointed out the ways the Class of 2021 changed Hendrix
for the better: “…in spending time here, you’ve shaped the way that we teach,
altered how we consider our educational structure, and challenged us to aim
higher, do better, and bring you a different way of looking at complex concepts,”
she said. “You challenged us to bring relevancy to your education, and your
creativity, curiosity, and drive inspired us to be better, too. We’ll do our
best to live up to those expectations going forward.”
Penner, a behavioral psychologist, used observations of marine
life to illustrate that diversity contributes to the health and resilience of a
community. “In your lifetime, there has been no greater need for these things
than right now at this very moment. You are what the worlds wants and needs,”
she said. “So, take this power of service that you have honed over these four
years to build a new community of diversity and cooperation.”
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix
College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal
arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40
Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic
quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture
in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more,
visit www.hendrix.edu.