Nazareth College Holds Commencement at Blue Cross Arena, May 8

ROCHESTER, NY (04/29/2011)(readMedia)-- Nazareth College is celebrating its 84th Commencement at the Blue Cross Arena in a joint ceremony with both graduate and undergraduates receiving their degrees on Sunday, May 8, (Mother's Day)-a fitting gift to all the moms of the deserving graduates. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and former Eastman Kodak Company Chief Diversity & Community Affairs Officer and Vice President Essie Calhoun will deliver the address to the Class of 2011 graduates. Nazareth has 595 undergraduate students and 555 graduate students earning diplomas, including those students with a doctorate in physical therapy.

This year's graduating class consists of some remarkable individuals. Among them are:

Fulbright scholars Jeri Beckens of Sodus, N.Y., a German major, who will teach English in Germany; Alyssa Pantano of Amherst, N.Y., a Spanish and inclusive education double major, who will teach English in Argentina; Amanda Poppe of Jordan, N.Y., a Spanish and adolescence education double major, who will teach English in Spain; Amber Powers of Webster, N.Y., a TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) graduate student, who will teach English in Nepal; and Daniel Simmons of Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., a German major, who will teach English in Germany. In the last five years, there have been 12 Fulbrights awarded to Nazareth College students.

This year, 10 graduates will be recipients of a dual-degree (bachelor's) in nursing from both Nazareth College and Semmelweis University in Hungary. The recipients are: Olga Eerikainen of Finland; Scott Gillen of the United States; Linda Hangyas Gillen of Hungary; Judit Hordosi of Hungary; Anniina Huusko of Finland; Karoliina Jokitalo of Finland; Maria Koiranen of Finland; Rebecca Miles of Finland; Linda Pahlman of Finland; and Nora Plander of Hungary.

Under the dual-degree program, their nursing degrees will be recognized in the United States, Hungary and Finland (due to an existing collaborative initiative between Semmelweis and Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Finland). The dual-degree qualifies them to take the licensure examination to practice nursing in those respective countries. ***A delegation from Semmelweis University and Laurea University of Applied Sciences will travel from Hungary and Finland to celebrate the graduation of the dual-degree recipients.***

About Essie Calhoun

Essie Calhoun retired January 1, 2011 from the position she has held at Eastman Kodak Company since 2003 as Chief Diversity & Community Affairs Officer and Vice President. Her career at Kodak began in 1982 with positions in marketing, sales and public affairs. She was appointed as a vice president in 1999 and elected a corporate vice president by the Kodak Board of Directors in 2000.

As Chief Diversity Officer, Calhoun has been the primary driver of Kodak's global diversity and inclusion strategies designed to foster an inclusive workplace and position the company to successfully compete in a globally diverse marketplace. Until her retirement, she also served on the Senior Executive Diversity and Inclusion Council, and partnered with the company's senior leadership to champion an inclusive culture at Kodak for enabling optimum participation by all constituents. As Director of Community Affairs and President of the Eastman Kodak Charitable Trust, Ms. Calhoun oversaw Kodak's corporate philanthropy and community involvement worldwide.

Essie Calhoun sits on a variety of boards and is the founder of several organizations focused on leadership development, including the United Way of Rochester's African American Leadership Development Program and the Kodak Youth Leadership Academy. She earned a bachelor's degree in social science from the University of Toledo, and a master's degree in administration and supervision from Bowie State University in Maryland. She is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Roberts Wesleyan College.