Saint Martin’s University is pleased to announce the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2018 graduating in May. Valedictorian Forrest Campbell of Davenport, Iowa, has a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Salutatorian Arthur Mills of Lacey will graduate with a 3.99 grade point average. The valedictorian for the December 2017 graduating class was Elizabeth Colón of Olympia, who graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and the salutatorian was MaCaylie Braden of Fife, who graduated with a 3.93 grade point average.
Valedictorian Forrest Campbell
Valedictorian Forrest Campbell is graduating with two degrees, a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and cultural anthropology. Forrest earned a cumulative grade point average of 4.0. Forrest aspires to a career in medicine as well as public health. After graduation, he will spend the summer working at a hospital in Iowa and studying for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
During his time at Saint Martin’s, he worked with Teresa Winstead, Ph.D., assistant professor of society and social justice, on studies concerning overdose prevention and syringe exchange programs. He also served as president of the Pre-Health Club. Last summer, he studied abroad in Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. In the surrounding community, he has worked as an emergency medical technician, volunteered for two years as a medical assistant at the Olympia Free Clinic and worked at the Washington State Department of Health as a health equity intern. He is a member of Beta Beta Beta biology honorary, the Saint Martin’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society and the Society of Scholars. At the Saint Martin’s Honors Convocation, Campbell was awarded the Father Jerome Toner Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in student activism. The Social Justice Committee presents the award to a student who undertakes work that comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. The award is named after Saint Martin’s monk Fr. Jerome, who was an internationally recognized labor scholar and activist, serving as a member of President Truman’s International Labor Organization in Switzerland and as a grassroots labor organizer.
Salutatorian Arthur Mills
Salutatorian Arthur Mills of Lacey is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and a minor in physics. He earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.99. This fall, he will pursue a Ph.D. in pure mathematics at Oregon State University.
At Saint Martin’s he was a tutor for the Center for Student Learning, Writing and Advising, a mentor through the Office of International Programs and Development, a student volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club STEM Workshop and a peer academic leader. He also presented research on cloud microphysics at the 2017 Saint Martin’s Scholar’s Day. In addition, he was the second author of the paper Radial Velocities of RR Lyrae Stars in and around NGC 6441, which was recently published in The Astronomical Journal. He worked with Engineers Without Borders to design a water treatment system for a local elementary school and he is currently preparing for a presentation on mathematical chaos theory. At the Saint Martin’s Honors Convocation, Mills was awarded the CLIMB Award, named for Cauchy, Lipschitz, Mersenne, and Bernoulli, which recognizes outstanding seniors who show potential for success in graduate studies.
The Saint Martin’s University 2018 Commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 12, at Marcus Pavilion on the University’s Lacey campus, 5300 Pacific Ave SE. Tickets are required for attendance; doors will open at 9 a.m. For more information on 2018 Commencement, please go to www.stmartin.edu/commencement.
