Randi Alper Pupkin, a 1984 graduate of Lynchburg College, was the commencement speaker at Lynchburg College on May 16 at 10 a.m. in the Dell. A total of 551 degrees were conferred, including 442 bachelor's and 109 master's.
Pupkin grew up in Baltimore and after graduating from Lynchburg College she received her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1987. From 1987 to 2000 she was a construction litigator and ran her own practice for seven of those years.
In March 2000, however, Pupkin decided to follow a different passion and established Art with a Heart, a non-profit organization that provides innovative visual arts classes to disadvantaged communities in and around Baltimore. In nine years, her programs have grown to weekly classes at 23 sites with a staff of 20 people. Art with a Heart now serves more than 12,000 children, adolescents, and adults in shelters, community centers, group homes, alternative schools, and senior facilities per year. She has also diversified her organization's offerings by developing an Art to Market program and a Workforce Empowerment Initiative.
Pupkin was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women and received an "e-chievement award" from etown, a nationally syndicated radio program, in 2005 and was one of Smart Woman magazine's 2006 Bravo Entrepreneur Award winners.
Here is Ms. Pupkin's address to the graduating class of 2009.
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