For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Jane Turnis
(719) 389-6138
JTurnis@ColoradoCollege.edu
Leslie Weddell
(719) 389-6038
Leslie.Weddell@ColoradoCollege.edu
555 TO RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMAS AT COLORADO COLLEGE
Some of college’s 'Best and Brightest' combine academic, extracurricular success
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – May 19, 2006 – Colorado College will confer degrees upon 555 graduates on Monday, May 22 at 8:30 a.m. on Armstrong Quad, the lawn directly north of the intersection of Tejon and Cache La Poudre streets. A total of 502 undergraduates will receive their diplomas, and 53 graduate students will receive their master of arts in teaching diplomas.
The following exceptional graduates have combined academic success with extensive extracurricular involvement and honors. They are some of the “best and brightest” of the Class of 2006.
Courtney Gibbons, of Woodbridge, Ct, graduates summa cum laude. She received the Florian Cajori Prize in Mathematics, the math department’s top award for mathematical prowess. She also graduates with Distinction in Mathematics: her distinction project included new results in Algebraic Graph Theory, and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Gibbons, who transferred to Colorado College as a sophomore, has conducted mathematical research for the past two summers as well as throughout the past year. She has been a First Year Experience mentor for two years, tutor and member of Shove Council. Future plans include working as a paraprofessional in the math department while pursuing mathematical research before attending graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. She plans to get married this summer to a CC alumnus who works in the college’s Information Technology Services department and fixed her computer.
Andrew Mulkeen, a political science major from Studio City, Calif., graduates cum laude. He is the winner of numerous awards, including the J. Juan Reid Award, presented to the senior best combining scholastic excellence and involvement in extra-curricular activities; the CCCA Involved Student of the Year Award, in which CC students select a student who has improved the atmosphere at Colorado College while maintaining high academics standards; and placed third in the Christopher Johnston Prize for Fellowship and Service. Additionally, Mulkeen was the student body president, a member of the student conduct committee and served as an emergency medical technician. He held a summer internship with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in which he performed dynamic maneuverability testing on the Mars Rover and assisted with the assembly of multiple robotic prototypes for planetary robotics surface operations. After graduation, Mulkeen will attend the University of Pennsylvania Law School with a partial academic scholarship.
Bryan Norrington graduates magna cum laude, with distinction in international political economy. He is a Fulbright Scholar and a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow. He recently was named one of two recipients of the 2006 NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarships, which was established in 1988 to recognize the contributions of the former NCAA executive director to encourage excellence in academic performance by student-athletes As a Fulbright Scholar, Norrington plans to study the relationship between Japanese nongovernmental organizations and Japan's official development assistance. After his Fulbright year, Norrington plans to pursue a joint master of arts degree in international relations/master of health sciences degree in International Health at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. His ultimate goal is to establish a nongovernment organization that will provide nutrition, health, educational and developmental support to rural communities in need. Before leaving for Japan, Norrington plans to travel to France as a Humanity In Action Fellow. Norrington was captain of the Colorado College track and field team in 2004 and holds the school record in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles. A member of Mortar Board National Honor Society and the Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society for social science, Norrington has appeared in multiple theater and dance productions at Colorado College. Now from Atlanta, he grew up in Aurora, Colo., and is a 2002 graduate of Smoky Hill High School.
Jason Owens, of Aurora, Colo., graduates cum laude. He the recipient of an El Pomar Fellowship, graduates with a major in history and a minor in African Studies. He received an Innovative Leadership Award, which is given to a student who has the insight to recognize an existing community problem and the ability to discover and implement solution. He has been honored as a Dreamkeeper; is the vice president of finance for Colorado College Campus Association; the founder and president of Sustained Dialogue, an international organization that adapted peace-making processes to teach students to talk about and understand race relations on the Colorado College campus; a resident and apartment advisor and intramural sports supervisor.
Caitlyn Ross, of Greenwood Village, Colo., graduates cum laude. She is one of the nation’s top collegiate debaters, and is this year’s recipient of the Apollonian Award, given to an outstanding debate student. She and her debate partner took first place in the open parliamentary debate competition at the University of Utah, where they beat 52 teams. She took second place at the national parliamentary Debate Association Tournament of Champions in 2004 and was recently selected as one of three Americans representing the National Parliamentary Debate Association in the annual Irish/U.S. Debate. In addition to holding leadership positions in speech and debate organizations, Ross has a double major in biochemistry and classics/history/politics. She is a Boettcher Scholar, who also received a Boettcher Enrichment Grant, and plans to attend law school with a specialization in biological patent law and scientific ethics.
Renise Walker, of Aurora, Colo., graduates with a degree in history/political science and a minor in American cultural studies. She received the Colorado College Campus Association Most Involved Student and Dreamkeeper awards at the college’s annual Honors Convocation earlier this month. While at Colorado College, Walker was involved in the Committee on Curriculum, the History Council, Black Student Union, SOMOS, Race Matters, Volunteer Action, Minority Concerns Committee, and she was an Admission Office Fellow. After graduation, Walker plans to work as a Public Interest Fellow at One Nation Enlightened in Denver.
In the event of inclement weather on Monday, the commencement exercises will take place at Colorado Springs World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Blvd., Colorado Springs. If weather is a concern, listen to Colorado College’s radio station, KRCC-FM 91.5, for announcements.
For information, directions or disability accommodations at the event, members of the public may call (719) 389-6607.
About Colorado College
Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts and sciences college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its 1,960 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive 3½-week blocks. For more information, visit www.ColoradoCollege.edu <http://www.ColoradoCollege.edu>.