Bridgewater College celebrated the Class of 2021 on May 1 on the campus mall. In accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s capacity limits for commencements with regards to COVID-19 guidelines, the College held four commencement ceremonies for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Approximately 321 undergraduate and 32 graduate students from the Class of 2021 received degrees at the ceremonies, conferred by Dr. David W. Bushman, president of Bridgewater College.
Brendan C. Draughn of Vinton graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. He is a graduate of William Byrd High School. His parents are Tina and David Edwards of Vinton and Brian and Marilyn Draughn of Daleville.
Taylor L. Hilliard of Vinton graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies.
Among the 321 undergraduate students in the Class of 2021, 137 earned bachelor of arts degrees and 134 earned bachelor of science degrees. Eighteen members of the undergraduate class graduated summa cum laude-the top academic honor, which requires students to achieve at least a 3.9 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Thirty-two graduates earned magna cum laude honors-a 3.7 or better average. Cum laude honors, requiring a 3.4 grade point average, were earned by 65 graduates.
Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to more than 1,600 students.