WATERVILLE — Thomas College announced this week that the school’s 128th commencement will have as its featured speaker Gregory Powell, chairman of the Harold Alfond Foundation.
The commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at 1 p.m. It will be preceded a day earlier by the honors convocation. Both will be held at the Harold Alfond Athletic Center on campus.
In addition to speaking at commencement, Powell will be awarded an honorary degree. He oversees a foundation that was founded in 1950 to further the philanthropic legacy of Harold Alfond by investing in education, youth and other causes. Alfond founded Dexter Shoe Co. in 1958.
The honors convocation on May 13 will include speaker Donna Loring, the former senior advisor on tribal affairs to Gov. Janet Mills. Loring also will be awarded an honorary degree.
The events will be held in-person and masks will not be required, although students and guests must either be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before commencement.
The commencement also will feature Rajhan Munnings as the undergraduate class speaker and Nathaniel White as the graduate class speaker.
Munnings is from South Caicos, an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and is graduating with a degree in business administration. After graduation, he plans to continue playing hockey in Europe or move back home to focus on entrepreneurship.
White is a Waterville native and will be graduating with a degree in business administration with a concentration in health care management. He works at MaineGeneral Health in materials management procurement.
The college will also give an honorary degree to Charles W. Hays Jr., president and CEO of MaineGeneral Health, and a posthumous honorary degree to H. Allen Ryan, former Thomas College trustee and philanthropist.
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