Katie Lehman, California, is a member of the graduating class of 2013 at Westminster College in Fulton.
Lehman earned a bachelor's degree with a major in Self-Designed-Health and Nutrition at commencement exercises held May 11.
The special day for the 237 seniors began with an inspirational baccalaureate message that morning from Rev. D. David Holyan, the father of graduating senior Anna Holyan, in Champ Auditorium.
A commencement luncheon was held for the graduates, their families and Westminster faculty and staff following baccalaureate.
That afternoon, once the procession of platform party, faculty and graduating class had taken their places in Champ Auditorium, Westminster President Dr. George B. Forsythe and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Bob Muehlhauser welcomed the honored graduates.
Commencement speaker for the ceremony was Don Tomnitz from Dallas, Texas, Class of 1970. Tomnitz, who is Vice Chairman, President, and CEO of D.R. Horton, Inc., America's largest new home builder, challenged the graduates in his keynote commencement address to make their own decisions about their future and to learn from their own mistakes.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the words of advice offered by Senior Class President Audrey Sharp from Columbia. Sharp told her classmates "During our time at Westminster, we have learned more than just biology, sociology, English, and philosophy. We've learned how to be and how to think for ourselves and how to think about someone other than ourselves."
Following commencement exercises, graduates participated in the historic Columns Ceremony, a Westminster tradition. Just as they are welcomed as freshmen into the Westminster community by walking through The Columns onto campus, graduates say good-bye to Westminster by walking back through The Columns and into the world.