College notes

Contributed
Published: June 26, 2008

UMW graduates
University of Mary Washington graduation was held Saturday, May 10 with Senator John Warner as featured speaker. Graduates from Orange were Sherri McGhee a M.Ed. degree, Parker Newman a B.S. degree in computer science and Lauren Pfeffer a B.A. degree in international affairs.

Mary Baldwin graduate
Jessica Elaine Jarrell of Burr Hill, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Jarrell, Jr. graduated May 18 from Mary Baldwin College with a degree in Communication, cum laude.

NJP&A internship
Ashley L. Morris, a resident of Orange, has been selected for an internship with New Jersey Protection & Advocacy, Inc. (NJP&A), an independent, consumer-directed non-profit organization that serves as New Jersey’s designated protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities. NJP&A provides information, referrals and a broad range of advocacy services, including legal representation in numerous state and federal court cases.
At NJP&A, Morris is developing public relations strategies and gaining exposure to legal services. A senior at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, her majors are political science and journalism and media studies. She is a correspondent and editor for Rutgers’ newspaper, “The Daily Targum.” Morris recently participated in the Institute on Political Journalism, a program sponsored by The Fund for American Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She also interned in the media relations department of the World Wildlife Fund Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in the marketing department of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication in New York.

Burnett GMU graduate
Ailsa Burnett graduated from George Mason University on May 17, 2008 with a master of Public Administration degree. Ailsa participated in the Northern Virginia Public Service Fellows Program which is a partnership between Fairfax County and George Mason University. This is a highly competitive program designed for local government managers.
Ailsa has been employed by Fairfax County for 13 years and has held various positions with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Presently, she is the assistant director for the county’s Girl’s Probation House Program, which is a residential treatment program for adolescent females who are court involved.
Ailsa is married to Alvin Burnett, Jr. and they reside in Warrenton with their children and is the daughter of Howard and Marlene Ware of Rapidan and granddaughter of Margaret Ware of Orange.

Dean’s list, Va. Tech
Erin Elizabeth McGinnis, daughter of Tim and Rosemary McGinnis of Orange, was named to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University dean’s list. The dean’s list recognizes students who have achieved superior quality in their academics.
Erin is a 2005 OCHS honor graduate and a rising senior at Va. Tech. She has carried at least 15 credits or more each semester and has achieved a GPA of 3.4 or higher to make the dean’s list. She is scheduled to graduate in the fall semester of her senior year (Dec. ‘08) with a major in animal science and a minor in biology.
Erin is spending her summer doing an internship at South Dakota State University, participating in research projects that deal with cattle, prairie dogs, prairie grasses and Petri dishes. She will return to Va. Tech in Aug. 2008 to finish her education.

Criminal Justice Academy graduate
Daniel Patrick McGinnis, son of Tim and Rosemary McGinnis of Orange, was a 2003 OCHS honor graduate and after attending Va. Tech, went on to graduate from the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy Class of 2008 and finished fifth in his class. Graduation was held at the Salem Civic Center where his father had the honor of “pinning” Danny with his sheriff’s badge as part of the graduation ceremony, while his wife, Betsy, and Mom looked on.
Danny has been employed as a sheriff’s deputy with the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Dept. He and his wife Betsy have been living in Botetourt County/Roanoke area since their marriage in May 2007. Betsy (Feldman) McGinnis is also an OCHS graduate of the Class of 2000 and has earned her degree as an art major from Mary Washington College in 2006. The couple is expecting their first child in Sept. 2008 and are looking forward to moving back to the Orange area in the future.

St. Mary’s College graduate
Mary Lyle Jeanes, of Orange, graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) class of 2008. Jeanes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, magna cum laude (3.7-3.899 GPA) and received a Nitze Scholars Program Commendation.
The Nitze Scholars Program is designed for highly motivated students with exceptional academic potential and a proven record of leadership and service. As part of a small cohort of peers, Nitze Scholars meet some of the components of the general education curriculum through a series of thematically organized interdisciplinary courses with special components such as a study-tour abroad and collaborative activities on campus.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland is ranked as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation by “U.S. News & World Report,” “Newsweek,” “The Princeton Review” and “Kiplinger’s,” and 427 students earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. SMCM provides its students with the academic excellence of a top private college while maintaining the openness and affordability of public education.

CGTC graduate
Apricia Graves graduated from Columbus Georgia Technical College with a master’s degree in cosmetology. Mac and Hunter Tibbs along with their son, Albert and daughter-in-law, Margaret, attended.

Maupin on president’s list
Tyler S. Maupin was named to the president’s list at James Madison University for the spring 2008 semester. To qualify a student must carry a semester course load of 12 graded credit hours or more and earn a GPA of 3.90 or above.
Tyler is a 2005 Orange County High School honor graduate and a rising senior at James Madison. He is the son of Gordon and Gwen Maupin and grandson of Gordon and Mackie Maupin, all of Barboursville.

Zwigart on dean’s list
Vanessa Lynn Zwigart was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2008 semester at Meredith College, according to Dr. Allen Page, vice president for academic programs.
To be named to the dean’s list a student must have a semester grade point average of at least 3.5 out of a possible 4.0, must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours and passed all courses. Chartered in 1891, Meredith College is a private, four-year, comprehensive college for women.

Hampden-Sydney dean’s list
Two local students at Hampden-Sydney College were named to the dean’s list for the second semester of the 2007-2008 academic year. To earn this distinction, students must achieve at least a 3.3 semester grade point average out of a possible 4.0
Robert Everett Bodendorf, a rising junior, is a graduate of Orange County High School and is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Bodendorf of Orange.
John Joseph Simmons, III, a rising junior, is a graduate of Orange County High School and is the son of Jim and Jane Shelhorse of Mine Run.
Hampden-Sydney College first enrolled students in 1775. A private men’s college, it is known for its structured liberal arts curriculum, the Honor Code, a unique focus on the needs of young men, and a small and nurturing academic environment.

Boston University graduate
Boston University awarded academic degrees to 5,760 students in May 2008. Among the graduates was Ashley D. Slade of Unionville, who received a bachelor of arts in Political Science.
Boston University is the fourth largest independent university in the United States, with an enrollment of more than 29,000 students in its 17 schools and colleges. The university offers an exceptional grounding in the liberal arts, a broad range of programs in the arts, sciences, engineering, and professional areas, and state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research.

Forty-four students who won State Fair of Virginia Competition Scholarships for their achievements at the 2007 State Fair event in Richmond have been recognized at local school board meetings throughout Virginia this spring.
The State Fair of Virginia Scholarship Program rewards young people for their hard work and achievement in 26 sanctioned State Fair competition areas. Students who win at the State Fair event are eligible to apply for the State Fair of Virginia Endowed Scholarships, with $27,000 in additional cash awards available.
Scholarship winners may use their scholarship earnings to attend any accredited post-secondary educational institution. After graduation, earnings will be paid directly to the student’s account at that institution.
Since its inception in 1989, the State Fair of Virginia Scholarship Program has awarded 1,915 scholarships and has dedicated nearly $1.7 million to youth education.
The winner from Orange is Robert Chambers, Honorable Mention Gold, $1,500.