Commencement speaker Kate Pew Wolters
Grand Valley celebrates fall semester graduates
Dec 12, 2016
Second from right, Christo T. Panopoulos received an honorary degree.
The Grand Valley Alumni Association presented the Young Alumni Award to
Cory Jackson, nutrition and wellness director for YMCA of Western North Carolina.
More than 1,000 Grand Valley State University students participated
in commencement December 10 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.
Students heard an address from Kate Pew Wolters, president of
the Kate and Richard Wolters Foundation. Pew Wolters chairs the
Steelcase Foundation and Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, and
is a member of Grand Valley's Board of Trustees, among other boards.
During the ceremony, Christo T. Panopoulos received an honorary
degree. Panopoulos immigrated to the U.S. from southern Greece in 1955
when he was 19. Following service in the U.S. Army, Panopoulos moved
to Grand Rapids and managed a hair salon. He grew that business into
Salon Enterprises, which includes cosmetology schools, Panopoulos
Salons and Haircuts Plus Salons. He serves on the board of the Grand
Valley University Foundation.
The Grand Valley Alumni Association presented the Young Alumni
Award to Cory Jackson, nutrition and wellness director for YMCA of
Western North Carolina. He received a bachelor's degree in public and
nonprofit administration from Grand Valley in 2012. Jackson earned a
$160,000 grant to expand the YMCA's mobile nutrition fleet; the
program now includes a food pantry and three mobile units.
Learn more about commencement at gvsu.edu/commencement.
Full speech:
Subscribe
Sign up and receive the latest Grand Valley headlines delivered to your email inbox each morning.
