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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Dec. 17, 2018) — Longtime Milligan College professor Dr. Carrie Swanay was presented the Fide et Amore award for her loving and faithful service to the college.
The Fide et Amore award, Milligan’s highest acknowledgement of service, was announced and presented at the college’s commencement ceremony held Friday, Dec. 14, in the Mary B. Martin Auditorium located in Seeger Chapel.
Swanay has served as professor of communications for 29 years and as the area chair for performing, visual and communicative arts for the past 10 years. She brought extensive professional broadcasting experience when she joined the faculty and helped oversee the operations of the college’s emerging communications major. During her tenure, she led the faculty and the arts program through several curriculum changes, and most recently, she was instrumental in the creation of the graphic design and musical theatre majors.
Prior to joining Milligan’s faculty, Swanay served as manager of the production department at WJHL-TV 11. She is a graduate of East Tennessee State University and completed a doctoral degree with a concentration in digital multimedia design and development at Virginia Tech.
Simon J. Dahlman, professor of communications, and Richard Major, professor of theatre, presented the award.
Dahlman highlighted Swanay’s dedication to her students and their development.
“Above all, Carrie has poured herself into the lives of her students,” said Dahlman. “Her dedication reaches beyond the classroom. She has served as a faculty mentor for incoming students since the mentoring program began. Furthermore, she has launched various opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience, to keep up with the latest trends in their field, and to be prepared for the workforce that awaits them upon graduation.”
Major emphasized the leadership Swanay brought to her department and colleagues, as well as her example.
“Carrie has been a respected colleague to not only me but to virtually everyone she has met during her tenure at Milligan College,” said Major. “I am grateful to her for her persistence, determination, tenacity and the way she makes us all better human beings because of her presence in our lives.”
During the ceremony, Milligan also awarded a total of 109 degrees. The college continued its new tradition of more student engagement during the program through prayer, scripture readings and remarks given by students to their fellow graduates.
Occupational Therapy graduate Eden Greene, of Camden, North Carolina, reflected on the value of her Milligan education in her remarks.
“Servant-leadership has been instilled in me during my time at Milligan and it has spread into my occupation,” said Greene. “At Milligan, we are taught how to be successful, but more importantly, we are taught how to strive for significance as disciples of Christ.”