Four sets of twins were among the 477 undergraduates receiving their diplomas from Lynchburg College May 12. In addition, 137 graduate degrees were awarded, for a total of 614 degrees.
The twins are: Britni and Courtney Lightfoot of Chesapeake, Va.; Kenneth "Jason" and Richard "Justin" Kelly of Colonial Heights, Va.; Christopher and Michael Rand of Richmond, Va.; and Romaine and Sharonda Johnson of Santa Ana, Calif.
The commencement speaker was Catherine German West, a 1982 graduate of Lynchburg College and former executive vice president and chief operating officer of JC Penney Co. West was named to Fortune magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business list for 2006. Prior to her position at JC Penney, she had been president for two years at US Card, the largest division of Capital One Financial, where she directed all product, marketing, and consumer-service activities for more than $48 billion in managed loans and $7.9 billion in revenues. West was named to the Lynchburg College Board of Trustees in October 2005.
West told the graduates that she overcame a "learning difficulty" that made everything in grade school arduous. "I was reminded by many that home economics was a perfectly acceptable high school major for a woman, and achieving marital status should be my primary goal anyway," she said.
That experience taught her not to put limits on herself, the first of five recommendations she had for the class of 2007. She also encouraged the graduates to: "be true to your value, work enthusiastically, define your own success, and be kind."
West noted that as she began her career, she took a lateral move to allow a more talented co-worker to move ahead of her, and learned much from him. "Had I been dogmatically ambitious in climbing the corporate ladder, I paradoxically would never have learned the skills that ultimately led to my success," she said.
Last year, West said, was an amazing year — one in which she was named to both the Washingtonian and Forbes most powerful women lists, and one in which she parted ways with JC Penney. She said she had no regrets and was proud of her experience at Penney’s. "I took a risk, learned more than I could have imagined and emerged stronger and wiser," she said.
West was one of four recipients of honorary degrees on Saturday. She, along with Leighton B. Dodd ’56 and Walker P. Sydnor Jr., received doctors of humane letters, while John Henne received a doctor of education. A vital member of the Lynchburg College Board of Trustees from 1985 to 2006, Dodd helped guide the College through years of growth and change, serving as vice chair of the board and as chair of the Development Committee. Dodd was also named a trustee emeritus and learned that a scholarship had been established in his name. Named to the LC Board of Trustees in 1991, Sydnor served as chairman from 2002 to 2005 and was a driving force behind the realization of Centennial Hall. Henne was recognized for his generosity and loyal support of Lynchburg College athletic programs and his continuing dedication and commitment to the education and enrichment of young people.
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