Family and friends packed the standing-room-only HPERC to celebrate with the 460 graduates, 79 of whom were from Clark County and the surrounding counties.

Judith Viorst, author of more than 30 books for both adults and children, including Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and Necessary Losses, which spent nearly two years on the New York Times bestseller list, presented the keynote address.

In her speech, Viorst, who received an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the ceremony, welcomed the graduates into the “grown-up” world and urged them to take responsibility for their decisions.

“Actions have consequences,” said Viorst, adding that growing up “is always a work in progress.”

Jennifer Grossman, president of the Class of 2003 and a history major from Baltimore, Md., also addressed the graduates, reminding them of the close relationships with professors that made such a difference in their Wittenberg careers.

“Our faculty have supported us through our development as individuals and have seen us through our most treasured experiences at Witt,” she said.

This year’s Commencement exercises also included a number of firsts. Lisa Dooley Cunningham ’94 became the first person to graduate with a master’s degree since the 1980s thanks to Wittenberg’s new master of arts in education program. The day also marked the first class of graduating seniors to receive a B.A. in communication, Wittenberg’s newest and fastest growing major.

In addition, a father and a son who have chosen different paths to improve life in war-torn Liberia were recognized with degrees. Samuel Harris, the son, received a B.S. in biology at the ceremony, while his father, Sumoward Harris, president of the Liberian Council of Churches, received an honorary doctorate of divinity.

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