Ellen Desmond of Concord, N.H., wins two major awards and graduates from Saint Michael's College

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Concord resident Ellen Desmond receives top Saint Michael's College English major graduate award from U.S.District Court Judge Christina Reiss (SMC '84).

COLCHESTER, VT (06/12/2012)(readMedia)-- Ellen Desmond, daughter of Barbara and Donald Desmond of Concord, N.H., received two major awards and then graduated from Saint Michael's College with a bachelor's degree in English literature, summa cum laude, at commencement exercise held on the campus of the liberal arts Catholic college on May 14.

Ms. Desmond received the award as the top English major, the John Reiss Award, created and presented by U.S. District Court Judge Christian Reiss (Saint Micahel's 1984 graduate) in honor of her father the late Saint Michael's College English Professor John Reiss. Judge Reiss presented the award before the faculty of the English department and Ms. Desmond's family on May 4, 2012.

Three days later on May 7, 2012, Ms. Desmond was awarded the inaugural edition of the Michael Samara Award, named in honor of the retiring Saint Michael's Vice President for Student Affairs, Michael Samara. Mr. Samara recommended her for the award, saying, "Ellen Desmond epitomizes what liberal arts colleges in the Catholic tradition want for their students." He praised her outstanding academic record, her membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Epsilon Sigma, the national Catholic Honor Society, and he said,

"As wonderful as Ellen's academic prowess is, she is special because her interpersonal skills are well developed and her desire to serve others is so genuine." Ms. Desmond served as an RA (resident assistant) for three years, from sophomore through senior year.

"Ellen Desmond is a person who holds herself to high standards and is able to enrich the lives of others through her genuine, value-centered approach to life," Mr. Samara said. She has been active in SMC Campus Ministry programs, serving as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister, Retreat Rector and strong participant in MOVE, the college's volunteer service program, where her work involved reaching out to the poor and disenfranchised of the local and national community.

"Aside from being among our brightest students, Ellen is also among our most motivated, most productive and most kind," Mr. Samara said.

Commencement speaker, MTV media pioneer and humanitarian, Tom Freston, a member of the Saint Michael's graduate class of 1967, spoke at the May 14th graduation and told the graduates hard work is key to your 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 Saint Michael's commencement exercises held May 14th in the SMC Ross Sports Center. Some 4000 people, including graduates and their families and friends, and faculty and staff of the college, located in Burlington, Vermont, heard excellent speeches from two students, from the college president, the chairman of the board, and from main speaker Tom Freston.

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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