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By Rex Barber
Johnson City Press Staff Writer
rbarber@johnsoncitypress.com
MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Milligan College held its 124th commencement ceremony on Mother’s Day and honored the keynote speaker, East Tennessee State University President Paul Stanton, with an honorary degree.
Don Jeanes, president of Milligan, said the honorary doctorate of administration that Milligan presented to Stanton was a rare thing. In fact, he said it may be the first time Milligan has conferred an honorary degree on someone.
Stanton, though, deserved it, Jeanes said.
“One of the reasons that we decided to invite him and honor him with an honorary degree is that he has been such a good friend to the college,” Jeanes said.
Stanton spoke to the 139 graduates from 19 states and two foreign countries and their friends and family packed into Seeger Memorial Chapel, located on Milligan’s campus, after slowly making his way to the podium using a walker because of broken ankle suffered in a mowing accident in April.
He spoke about what the graduates’ accomplishments meant, not only to them, but also to loved ones in their lives, and gave advice for the future.
But first, he thanked Milligan for granting him the honorary degree and told of Milligan’s influence at ETSU.
“At ETSU we value our relationship with Milligan College,” Stanton said.
He said ETSU would gladly accept Milligan graduates into its new pharmacy school when it opens and hoped that many would partake of the opportunity.
Stanton said he believed the kinds of individuals Milligan produces are exactly what the community needs, and ETSU would continue their education if they chose to do so.
“We need people with special credentials and ethics,” he said, referring to those about to graduate.
The difficulties faced by today’s college students, such as rising tuition and the need to work full-time while attending class, are something Stanton said he recognized and told those in attendance that made their degrees worth that much more.
“And I know, day in and day out, you have overcome those obstacles,” he said.
Milligan, Stanton said, tries to instill in its graduates a sense of community involvement and service, which they call servant leadership.
“You will find your honor in service,” Stanton said. “The best test of servant leadership is to put the word servant first.”
Stanton summed up his point with a quote from the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’ ” he said.
Two graduates with bachelor’s degrees in nursing, Kristi Parkerson and Cora Deakins, were both glad they attended Milligan and thought they were better citizens because of the college.
“I’m very excited, it’s been a long time coming,” Parkerson said of her graduation.
Both women already have jobs in the intensive care unit at Johnson City Medical Center.
Parkerson attended Emory and Henry College for three years before coming to Milligan after deciding to pursue a degree in nursing.
“I’m from Johnson City originally and when I changed universities, I knew Milligan had a really good nursing program,” she said. “I liked the small-class environment, the teachers were really one on one. I was used to the small class environment so I decided to come here.”
Deakins also said she enjoyed her experience at Milligan.
“I liked it a lot,” she said. “I like the Christian environment. I feel like I’m a better Christian for going here.”
Parkerson agreed.
“I feel really well-rounded for having attended Milligan,” she said.
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