Hollins University students graduate this weekend

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) -     Hollins University students graduate this weekend. 176 undergraduate and graduate degrees will be given out Sunday. The largest number of majors for undergraduates are English, biology, psychology, and business. This year's speaker is Ann Compton, the first female assigned by a network television organization to report from the White House on a full time basis.  Graduation is Sunday starting at 10 a.m.

The following are some of the Hollins University graduates with information provided by the University:

Lauren Earley is a double-major in history and English from Winchester, Va.  She will be attending Georgetown Law School next year, and special education law is something very close to her heart: she has two siblings on the autism spectrum and one sibling who struggled with a speech disorder when he was younger. She's had internships with some outstanding law firms, including one in New York City during this year's January Short Term. Fall semester she captained the trail running team on campus, even though she just started running last summer. Has also been involved with various other clubs and organizations on campus during her four years at Hollins. Last year she backpacked to the highest point in the state of Virginia.

Andolyn Medina is a Psychology major and music minor from Chesapeake, Va. An accomplished classical vocalist and pianist, she was selected to sing the National Anthem at a 2012 campaign rally for President Obama and at the preliminary competition of the 2013 Miss America Pageant. She has received both the President's Volunteer Service Award and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. She was crowned Miss Roanoke Valley 2016 and will compete for the title of Miss Virginia in June. Roanoke Mayor David Bowers declared March 7, 2016, Andolyn Medina Day in her honor.

Mikaela Murphy is an International studies major who this fall will begin work on completing a Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree in the College of Environment and Design (CED) at the University of Georgia (UGA).  She will receive full funding for two years through an assistantship. UGA's CED is consistently ranked as having one of the best M.L.A. programs in the country alongside Harvard University, Cornell University, and Virginia Tech. Each year, the program selectively admits only about 16 new students.

Emani Richmond is a Communication studies major from Mebane, NC. She has been very actively involved in a range of campus activities, including three years as an R.A.; multiple positions on the Black Student Alliance's executive board, including executive chair this year; and has been both a member and a leader with SHARE, Hollins' peer education group that recruits volunteers and coordinates community service activities with a variety of agencies and organizations. She studied abroad in South Africa, and after graduation she is moving to Nashville to work with Teach for America.

Maya Rioux is an International studies major from Knoxville, TN. She spent her junior year studying abroad, first in Paris and then in London. She was a student in Hollins' inaugural London Theatre Semester during the spring 2015 term, where Ellis Jones, past director of England's Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts, was one of her instructors. She is preparing to take the foreign service exam in October.

Pavithra Suresh is an International studies and communication studies double-major from Cary, NC. She will be attending American University to pursue an M.A. in international media. She is an exceptional student who has persevered with her academics while overcoming an illness. She took part in Hollins' annual Jamaica Cultural Immersion Program; completed some outstanding internships; and studied abroad in London during her time at Hollins.