Archive: Around Town

Aurora, New York— President Jonathan Gibralter will give the Commencement address and Michelle Lee '16 will be the student speaker for Wells College's 2016 Commencement ceremonies. The ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21, on the front steps and lawn of Macmillan Hall on the College's campus in Aurora, N.Y.

Michelle Lee is well-known on campus for her dedicated involvement—she is the chair of the Women's Resource Center and chief copy editor for the student-run magazine The Sycamore—and for her outspoken role as a student activist and voice for social justice.

"When we're there at Commencement to celebrate our achievements—there's value in having our voice be a part of the celebration," said Michelle. "The goal for me is to share the moments that we had as a class as a collective, to share our experiences.

"I have this belief that everyone in our graduating class is going to be fine, end up just fine and happy in whatever they're doing. It makes it hard to think of any advice to give, because I just want to say, 'You're going to be fine, I promise you.'"

Michelle will be graduating with a dual degree in English: Creative Writing and Women's & Gender Studies. In the past year, Michelle has taken opportunities to serve as the opening reader for the Visiting Writers Series reading by noted poet Marilyn Chin; to support and contribute to the Student Committee for Inclusion and Intercultural Excellence's regular "Coffee, Tea, and SCIIE" series; and to speak to incoming students about Wells' Honor Code during first-year Orientation.

Her student experience has also been shaped by a pair of study abroad experiences in Bath, England, and Florence, Italy, as well as participation in occasional theatre productions and, of course, the demands and rewards of working on the staff of The Sycamore. This fall, Michelle will continue to develop her skills in writing and publishing in New York City under the Writing for Children and Young Adults program of The New School.

President Jonathan Gibralter is a nationally-recognized leader in higher education, focusing his scholarship on issues of sustainability and reducing dangerous drinking on college campuses by promoting more responsible behavior. He has worked closely in leadership roles with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (part of the National Institutes of Health), led the development of the organization's CollegeAIM Alcohol Intervention Matrix, and received NIAAA's Senator Harold Hughes Memorial Award last year.

President Gibralter was a charter signatory and member of the 2011-2012 steering committee of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment and was one of the first to sign onto an expanded Climate Commitment last fall. His essays and interviews have appeared on the Huffington Post, CNN, NPR's All Things Considered, PBS Newshour, and more.

In his first year at Wells, President Gibralter has led campus improvements including upgrades to athletic facilities and classroom technology, the development of plans for a new residence hall, implementation of new degree programs in the sciences, and establishment of an office and committee for diversity and inclusion.

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