West Liberty University graduating senior Abigail Reeves, 22, has earned the honor of being the student speaker for Spring Commencement, which will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 12, in the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC).
Three hundred and seventy students are expected to complete their degree requirements during the spring semester.
Maintaining a cumulative 4.0, she is graduating summa cum laude. A secondary English education major with a middle school social studies minor, a writing minor and an English literature minor, Reeves began her career on the hilltop as a transfer student from WVU.
Most recently, Reeves has been student teaching at Triadelphia Middle School and also completed a student teaching assignment at Wheeling Park High School.
After commencement, Reeves will enter WVU’s English master degree program as a teaching assistant. This position is highly competitive and awards only six applicants a scholarship. She will teach English in the fall to WVU freshmen and, after two years, expects to graduate and return home to Wheeling for a teaching career.
Reeves is active in Alpha Chi honorary, the Liber Honor Society, both the education and the English honor societies, and Chi Omega, serving as secretary at one point. Reeves also recently joined the WLU Literacy Council, a student group that promotes reading on campus, and has presented research papers at WLU’s annual symposium.
Reeves was picked as Homecoming Queen in 2016 and also found time to participate in theater and speech.
The daughter of David and Terri Reeves, she is from Wheeling and has two younger brothers, Zach and Jacob.
The keynote commencement speaker is president and CEO of Ziegenfelder Company, Lisa Allen.
The graduating student with the highest GPA in each respective college has the honor of carrying the college banner. The graduating student speaker duties rotate among the colleges.
The following students will serve as banner carriers:
- College of Arts & Communication, Shane Powell, Claysville, Pa.
- College of Education & Human Performance, Shelby Sands, New Martinsville, and Samantha Smith, Bridgeville, Pa.
- College of Liberal Arts, Rose Archey, Wheeling
- College of Sciences, Susan Smith, Tennessee
- West College of Business, Cory Hoshor, Buffalo, W.Va.
- School of Professional Studies, Jack Benedett, Wheeling
Doors will open for seating at 9:30 a.m. and tickets are not required. However, because of the large number of graduates, graduating seniors are asked to limit guests to no more than five.
The commencement ceremony will be televised live on WLU Television Comcast Channel 14. A reception for graduates, guests and families will be held in the College Union immediately following the ceremony.
