Lincoln College announces 145th commencement

Scott Altman will be awarded honorary degree

[May 07, 2012]  Lincoln College's 145th commencement will be on Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m. The ceremony will be in the Jack D. Nutt Arena in the Lincoln Center.

In all, 178 candidates are eligible to receive an associate degree. Lincoln College will also award one bachelor's degree through its theater program.

This year's commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient is Scott Altman, a NASA astronaut who has made four space flights and spent over 40 days in space. Altman, who was born in Lincoln, is a decorated Navy pilot who has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Metal, Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal, among other honors. Altman also has seen time on the big screen, as he performed several aerial stunts in the movie "Top Gun."

Ms. Brandie Centi of Clearfield, Penn., will deliver the student address. During her tenure at Lincoln College, Centi has been a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the Lynx swimming and diving and women's soccer teams, student ambassadors, and has earned special honors recognition for maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average.

This year will be the final commencement ceremony for Dr. Jonathan Astroth, who will retire later this summer after serving for two years as president of Lincoln College's Lincoln and Normal campuses. Astroth has spent over 35 years in the field of education, including nearly 20 years as president of Heartland Community College.

Past Lincoln College honorary degree recipients include Rahm Emanuel, current mayor of Chicago and former white house chief of staff; Grammy award winner Dionne Warwick; and congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.

[Text from file received from Lincoln College]