Christopher Eldridge of Dover graduates, receives special community service award at Saint Michael's College

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Chris Eldridge of Dover earns Community Service Award at Saint Michael's College

COLCHESTER, VT (05/21/2012)(readMedia)-- During Commencement Week activities May 11-14 at Saint Michael's College, Christopher J. Eldridge, son of Arthur and Marianne Eldridge of Dover, NH, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and received the Donald Sutton Community Service award, presented to a graduating senior who has exemplified the high ideals and level of commitment shown by the award's namesake, Donald Sutton, founder of Saint Michael's Fire and Rescue squad and a campus/community leader and servant for 26 years.

In presenting the award, Senior Class Vice President Michael Herring spoke of the demanding expectations for Saint Michael's Fire and Rescue Squad volunteers, as established by Sutton. "In choosing to be part of the Saint Michael's Fire and Rescue squad, one effectively sacrifices time, sleep and often him or herself in any way possible for the good of the community," he said, calling Eldridge "a great serviceman, a great person and a great friend of mine." Among Eldridge's duties for the squad that he greatly enjoyed was driving the fire truck.

The Commencement speaker was MTV media pioneer and humanitarian Tom Freston, a member of the Saint Michael's Class of 1967. He told the graduates that hard work is a key to their future. "My advice," he said, "is really to look for a career in fields that are on the ascent - social innovation - and bring an old-fashioned work ethic to them."

"There is great value and sustaining dignity in good old-fashioned hard work, whether that means crunching numbers or cleaning bathrooms," Freston said.

Some 478 students received bachelor's degrees and another 65 received master's degrees at the college's 105th commencement exercises, held May 14th in the college's Ross Sports Center. Some 4,000 people attended, including graduates and their families and friends, faculty and staff. Along with Freston, they heard excellent speeches from two students, the college president and the chairman of the board.

Learn What Matters at Saint Michael's College, The Edmundite Catholic liberal arts college, www.smcvt.edu. Saint Michael's provides education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools to lead successful, purposeful lives that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael's College is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns. Identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nations Best 376 Colleges, and included in the 2012 Fiske Guide to Colleges, Saint Michael's has 1,900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students. Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other grants. The college is one of the nation's top-100, Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2012 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

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