For the first time, the College of Arts and Sciences has offered graduating seniors the opportunity to be selected as the college’s keynote speakers at the spring 2015 commencement ceremony. The students considered for this honor must have distinguished themselves through leadership roles, public service, creative endeavors, research or other accomplishments during their time at Appalachian. Each student participated in an application and interview process and four speakers were selected.
The commencement speakers are Nathan Arnold, Savannah Carter, Samantha Jay and Erlan Martinez. Each student will deliver a speech at the college’s spring 2015 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9 at 4 p.m.
According to Senior Associate Dean, Neva Specht, “Our chosen speakers have excelled at academics, but they also have taken part in a wide variety of activities beyond the classroom. These students will represent the class of 2015 well at Commencement.”
The students selected for this honor have diverse backgrounds and academic interests that represent the many areas that comprise the College of Arts and Sciences.
Nathan Arnold, a native of Appalachia and Political Science major, is the first member of his family to earn a degree. Nathan has exceled in the classroom and is in the Accelerated Admission program, which enables him to begin graduate coursework while finishing his undergraduate studies.
Savannah Carter, an Anthropology major with a passion for travel and ethnographic research, is currently seeking internship positions with research teams throughout the country. She intends to earn a graduate degree in Anthropology and continue to study indigeneity in contemporary times and environmental injustices.
The third speaker, Samantha Jay, is an English and Secondary Education major who taught English while studying abroad in Japan. After graduation, she plans to teach in the Research Triangle area before pursuing a graduate degree in Classical Literature.
A Chemistry major with entrepreneurial pursuits, Erlan Martinez represents the Natural, Physical & Mathematical sciences in the college. After obtaining his Doctor of Pharmacy, Erlan plans to open his own pharmacy and found a nonprofit organization that would provide hospitals in developing countries with access to medicine.
These students have proven to be leaders, thinkers and innovators and their academic endeavors and ambitions represent many of the diverse interests of the 2015 graduating class.
“We are proud to honor these students’ accomplishments and allow them to share their inspirational stories as keynote speakers for commencement,” said Specht.
For more information on the College of Arts and Sciences’ spring commencement ceremony, please visit the Appalachian State University’s registrar’s website.
ASU Graduation
