Tusculum College's commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 10, graduated 305 students.

The two commencement ceremonies -- one at 11 a.m. and the other at 2:30 p.m., both held in Pioneer Arena -- were highlighted by the conferring of an honorary doctoral degree upon Dr. Angelo Volpe, a college trustee who served last summer as acting president of Tusculum College.

Also, Tusculum's first-ever Civic Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Edward Kormondy, a 1950 Tusculum College alumnus and trustee who also served as acting president during part of 2007.

During the second of the day's two commencement ceremonies, the college's graduating class also welcomed a dozen special guests: members of the "Golden Pioneer Class" -- Tusculum graduates of 50 years ago, the Class of 1958.

Clad in robes of yellow, the honored class members sat together with the class of 2008 and were applauded when introduced individually during the ceremony.

Dr. Volpe's honorary doctorate, a doctor of science degree, was presented by Dr. Kormondy, who heads the committee of the Board of Trustees that oversees honorary degrees. Dr. Kormondy is vice chairman of the board of trustees.

The decision to grant the honor to Volpe was made by unanimous vote of the trustees. Though best known for his presidency for several years at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Dr. Volpe had a distinguished academic career prior to that.

In the 1980s, Dr. Volpe, a New York native, was vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor of chemistry at East Carolina University. He has also been dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at East Carolina and a teacher of chemistry at East Carolina and the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Maryland and was a research chemist in the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory in the 1960s.

Volpe and his wife, Jennette, who was present for Saturday's ceremony, live in Cookeville. Tennessee Tech's library is named in their honor as the Angelo and Jennette Volpe Library and Media Center.

After his retirement from Tennessee Tech, where he taught chemistry in addition to serving as president, Dr. Volpe joined Tusculum College's board of trustees in 2005.

Dr. Kormondy, along with Dr. Volpe, stepped in to serve temporarily and successively as Tusculum College's top executive last year when Dr. Dolphus Henry suddenly left the school in May 2007.

Kormondy, who already held an honorary doctor of science degree from Tusculum College dating to 1997, was given the new Civic Achievement Award as a surprise.

Kormondy lives in Los Angeles. After his undergraduate years at Tusculum, he earned a master's degree and a doctoral degree, both in zoology, from the University of Michigan.

He also served professionally at that university as well as at Oberlin College, the University of Pittsburgh, The Evergreen State College, the University of Southern Maine, and California State University-Los Angeles in various capacities including dean, provost, and vice president for academic affairs.

In the latter portion of his career, Dr. Kormondy was chancellor and professor of biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu.

After retirement, he served as interim president of the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.

In 2000 his outstanding service to the University of Hawaii system was recognized when the board of regents named him chancellor emeritus.

A skillful writer and communicator, Kormondy has written and edited numerous biology textbooks and publications.

Student speakers, representing each of the degree programs, addressed their fellow graduates at their respective students. Speaking in the morning ceremony were Jason Surlas from the bachelor of science in organizational management program and Vivian Gibbons from the master of Arts in education program.

Surlas, of Knoxville, spoke of his experiences as an adult learner, returning to the classroom after years in a career and having begun a family. It was a challenging task to juggle each of his responsibilities, he said, but noted that anything worthwhile requires hard work and dedication.

He said that the Tusculum Graduate and Professional Studies approach -- a night of class once a week and another night to meet with a study group -- seemed overwhelming at first, but Surlas found the program ideal for adult learners.

Vivian Gibbons, of Greeneville, shared her three rules of life for achievers. She told her fellow graduates that they were achievers because they had pursued a goal and persevered until it was completed.

Her first rule is "take care of yourself," not merely in a physical way but also in terms of spiritual and emotional health. Her second rule is to "take care of others," which includes working to make the world a better place to live in for all. The third rule is to "take care of your spiritual life," believing in something larger than oneself.

The speakers in the afternoon ceremony were Regina Cole, representing the bachelor of arts in education program, and Tamara Wynn, representing Tusculum's residential college program.

Cole recounted her path to her degree, from volunteering in her children's school to being a substitute teacher, and from there to returning to school herself.

Cole said she was encouraged along the way by others to pursue her desire to become a teacher, and she urged those at the ceremony to encourage adults that they may know who want to continue their education to reach for their goal.

Tamara Wynn said she had thought back to the person she was when she came to the college. That person was very protective of her identity and was sure she would be the same person four years later, but just more knowledgeable academically.

However, Wynn said, she is very different person now, a person who has grown through support from faculty and her friends.

Dr. Stephen Weisz, the campus minister, delivered the baccalaureate sermon, "The Lord is Your Shepherd."

"Today, you may feel as you ear

But real happiness is found not from monetary or social success, but from a relationship with God, maintained Weisz.

"If the Lord is your shepherd, you will have a meaningful life," he said.