Porter Township resident Erin Wollett was the student speaker for the main campus of Wilmington College at the college’s commencement ceremony last month.
The Wilmington College Student Government Association, board of trustees and commencement committee chose Wollett as the main campus student speaker at the 139th annual Wilmington College commencement.
On May 9, Wollett graduated from Wilmington College where she received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture with a concentration in animal science, summa cum laude, as well as a bachelor of science degree in agriscience education, summa cum laude.
She has accepted a position as agriculture instructor and FFA adviser at Cardington-Lincoln High School in Cardington, Ohio.
At commencement, Wollett followed Jim Reynolds, president of Wilmington College, and reflected on a few class memories before addressing how these memories and Wilmington College helped the new graduates develop an outward-facing lens that allows them to live a life focused on others.
Although Wollett said the speech stands out as one of her favorite achievements throughout her four years of college, she was successful in other outlets as well.
For four years, Wollett worked as a student ambassador in the Office of Admissions. She was an active member of the Aggies Club and Collegiate 4-H and served as a committee chairman for the annual Wilmington College Aggies Livestock Judging Contest — the largest youth livestock-judging contest east of the Mississippi River.
She was inducted during her sophomore year into Delta Tau Alpha, a National Agriculture Honorary, and served as a 2014 Westheimer Peace Symposium student host. She was also a member of Kappa Delta Sorority and served as the parliamentarian and merchandise chair of the Eta Rho chapter. In the fall of 2014, Wollett was named as a college homecoming attendant.
She traveled on scholarship to Kansas City, Missouri, as a representative at the Agriculture Future of America Leadership Conference; and spent a week this past fall lobbying in Washington, D.C., on behalf of agricultural topics, including the Renewable Fuel Resource Act and GMO Labeling. While in D.C., she met with Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Pat Tiberi and officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Canadian embassy and the American Farm Bureau.
Wollett said the highlight of her travels was a service trip to Kilgoris, Kenya, that she created, developed and executed this past December. For a year and a half, she worked to arrange the service trip for herself, four other students and one faculty member to travel to Africa to work in the areas of education, sustainable agriculture and community development.
Along with her honors at graduation, Wollett was recognized at Wilmington College’s student recognition ceremony by being inducted into the Green Key Honor Society for her academic achievements and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
Lastly, Wollett was recognized as the distinguished student and top senior in agriculture and education for her achievements, involvements and academic scholarship.
