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Barton Community College to honor graduates in 41st commencement
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Barton Community College’s 41st commencement is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in the College Gymnasium. Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman will welcome the graduates, their families and friends to the ceremony.

Dr. Andy Tompkins, who became the Kansas Board of Regents president and CEO on June 1, 2010, will give the commencement address. Prior to coming to the Board of Regents, Tompkins served in a variety of roles in education in Kansas.

At the university level, he has been a college dean, a department chair, and an associate professor of educational leadership. His state service includes nine years as Commissioner of Education for the state of Kansas. He has also served as a high school English teacher, high school principal and district superintendent.

Tompkins was selected as the Kansas Superintendent of the Year in 1992 and was inducted into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame in 2001. He received the Governor’s Award presented by the Kansas State High School Activities Association in 2002 and was named the Leadership Kansas Alumnus of the Year in 2002. He also received the University of Kansas College of Education Distinguished Service Award in 2004 and the Emporia State University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.

Barton graduates, faculty, trustees and administrators will march into the gymnasium to the traditional "Pomp and Circumstance" by Edward Elgar, performed as a keyboard duet by Karole Erikson, keyboard instructor, and Steven Lueth, instrumental music instructor. They also will play the recessional, Felix Mendelssohn’s "March of the Priests."

Dr. Paul Maneth, chairman of the board of trustees, will confer the degrees. Vice President of Instruction and Student Services Dr. Penny Quinn will present the graduates, and College Trustees will award the diplomas.

Dean of Student Services Angie Maddy will present Barton’s 2011 Outstanding Graduates Jared Marcuson, Oberlin, and Will Hodges, Larned, who will address their fellow graduates.

The college will recognize Barton instrumental music instructor Steven Lueth as recipient of the Distinguished Instructor Award and the Barton Community College Foundation will honor Dr. William and Mary King with the Distinguished Service Award, given to an individual or individuals who have shown genuine regard for the college through volunteer service and/or acts of philanthropy.

Pastor Jay Beuoy of Grace Community Church will give the commencement invocation and benediction. Barton’s Hilltop Singers directed by Vern Fryberger, choral music instructor, will perform "You’ll Never Walk Alone."

A reception will take place in the Student Union following the ceremony. Graduates, their families and friends are welcome.

Videos of the 2011 graduation ceremony and/or nurses pinning will be available on DVD for $20 each. For more information about the graduation video, contact Julie Munden, Barton’s video and multimedia specialist, by phone, 620-792-9305, or by email, mundenj@bartonccc.edu. Highlights of graduation also will be available on YouTube, and photos will be available on Flickr. Indexes of these media options will be located at http://hilltopics.bartonccc.edu.