The W recognizes graduates with highest GPAs

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COLUMBUS, MS (05/17/2013)(readMedia)-- Jocelyn Case of Branson West, Mo., Karen Lott of Leakesville and Joy Wilkins of Columbus were awarded the Harvey M. Craft Award at The W.

The award is presented to the graduates with the highest grade point average. All three had a 4.0 and received watches from the MUW Foundation for their accomplishments.

Case earned a degree in communication, and Lott graduated with a degree in political science. Wilkins earned a degree in nursing.

MUW's 128th Commencement took place in Rent Auditorium, Whitfield Hall, on Saturday, May 11. The message was delivered by alumna Marcella McKay, who serves in a dual role as chief operating officer for the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) and president and chief executive officer for the MHA Health, Research & Educational Foundation.

She told graduates that when they look at their near future, they can see three important areas to enhance their professional success: message, management and meaningful work.

Established in 1884, The W, today attracts both female and male students from around the region and around the world. It has established one of the premier nursing programs in the state, offering degrees from the associate's through the doctor of nursing practice; and has developed a nationally recognized program in culinary arts.

The W annually hosts the Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium, which draws a host of critically acclaimed contemporary writers and scholars, and it is home to the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the state's only public, residential high school for academically gifted high school juniors and seniors.

The W's four colleges include Arts and Sciences; Business and Professional Studies; Education and Human Sciences; and Nursing and Speech-Language Pathology. The historic campus is home to 23 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, making it one of the most significant architectural campuses in Mississippi.