Dear Alums,

Saturday, June 11th, we added over 500 new names to the alumni rolls as Shawnee State presented its 19^th annual Commencement.

Though it poured the rain beforehand, the ceremony went off without a hitch.  An estimated 4,000 people watched the Class of 2005 cross the stage.  Ann B. Pope, federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, gave the graduates a message of “Do it, live it, give it.”  Pope has done a lot of different things in her life and has met many interesting people, so she was able to share a great deal of wisdom with the graduates and everyone enjoyed her remarks.

The alumni were also part of the celebration as I addressed the graduates and talked to them about their continued association with SSU.  I wanted to share with you some of my comments, because they pertain to all of you as well:

Just because your time here on campus is coming to an end does not mean your association with Shawnee State is ending.  From your very first day here, you became part of the Shawnee State family.  And wherever you go, you will always be a part of our family.  And just like with our own families, we want to know what’s going on with you.  So stay in touch with us.  We know you’re going to be successful in whatever you do and we want to celebrate those successes with you. 

I know that at some point down the road, you’ll look back and realize that this University changed your life.  I hope when that time comes, you’ll find a way to give back so that you can change the life of this University…

I also wanted to share with you the results of our Found Money campaign.  We raised $680.25 for the Friends of Shawnee State Scholarship fund.  My thanks to everyone who participated and made this campaign a success.  You can see pictures from our Counting Day celebration on the SSU website (www.shawnee.edu).  However, it’s not too late to participate.  If you would still like to make a donation, you can do so by dropping it off at the Development Office, or mailing it to: Shawnee State University Development Foundation, 940 Second Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662.  You can also call (740) 351-3284 with your credit card information.

As always, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

I hope you’re all having a great Summer!

Until next month…

Angela