ne hundred fifteen Bluefield College seniors accepted diplomas, Saturday, May 18, 2019, during Bluefield College’s Inaugural Master of Arts in Biomedical Science Commencement. The event was held outside on the campus quad with the majestic East River Mountain as a backdrop. Bluefield College President, Dr. David W. Olive, welcomed family and friends to the celebratory event which featured two speeches from distinguished graduates, greetings on behalf of the Bluefield College Board of Trustees from Michael P. Harris, Pharm. D., and a keynote address from Dr. Phillip A. Peterson, M.D.
Ms. Patricia Pittman and Mr. Emmanuel Ayompe brought the student addresses for the event. Patricia Pittman reflected on her coursework, saying, “This master’s program has given me the knowledge and discipline to thrive in medical school, and I cannot wait.” Then she joked with her classmates, saying, “Now go enjoy your last vacation for the next four years.”
Emmanuel Ayompe concluded that there were four key points or lessons that the graduates had learned from the Master of Arts in Biomedical Science (MABS) program, and he shared those points with the acronym MABS in his address to the graduates. The “M” stood for morale and specifically medical morale. The “A” stood for appreciate, and Ayompe said that through the program, students learned to appreciate “what everyone brings to the team.” The “B” stood for the lifelong bonds that were created between the students in the program. Lastly, the “S” stood for success. Ayompe defined what success means to him saying, “success is influencing the world around you, with the investment of your personality.” Ayompe later added, “If you influence that patient, and help them see how important their health is to you, you are a successful doctor. Knowing that we have all learned from this program, there is no doubt that every one of you will be great physicians.”
Keynote speaker, Dr. Phillip Peterson. M.D. spoke to the graduates offering career advice. Peterson said, “The people and places that have been a part of your life, send a little of themselves with you as you continue your journey. It is your duty to represent them with integrity and purpose.” Next, he told the graduates that many times over the years as he would be leaving the bedside of patients, they would ask him to remember to pray for him. He would pray with them immediately and would tell patients, “Working for the great physician I do some of my best work on my knees.” The last point that Peterson wanted to make with the graduates was that “education as we know it comes from man and should be cherished. The wisdom and knowing how to apply it comes from God and should be embraced.”
Peterson is a family medicine and geriatric specialist in Bluefield, Virginia. He graduated from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in 1985. Having more than 34 years of diverse physician care experiences, Dr. Peterson affiliates with regional hospitals and cooperates with other doctors and specialists in the area.
Presently, Dr. Peterson is the medical director at Westwood Health Care Center, medical director at Mountaineer Home Health, MSA, in Princeton, W.V., regional medical director at Total Hospice Care, MSA, in Grundy, V.A., and the associate medical director with Hospice Compassus in McDowell County, W.V.
Dr. Peterson has served as a clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and as an adjunct faculty member at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine on the Blacksburg campus. Additionally, he oversaw residents in the Geriatrics in Internal Medicine and Family Practice Programs at Bluefield Regional Medical Center, where he also served as chief of medicine and co-medical director of the Skilled Nursing Unit. He has held national leadership positions with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and AMDA, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care.
The 97th Spring Commencement also included a scripture reading by Dr. Emily Lambert, associate professor of biology; special music sung by Dr. John-Scott Moir, assistant professor of music; as well as a hymn and the singing of the BC alma mater, also led by Dr. John-Scott Moir. Mr. Zachary Smith, vice president of the alumni association board, led the graduates in reciting the alumni creed and welcomed them to the Bluefield College Alumni Association. Smith said, “As you maneuver your way through the many ups and downs of life, there will be choices, challenges, joys, and sorrows. But no matter where the road ahead leads, one constant will remain; you will always be a part of the Bluefield College family.”
Candidates for graduation were presented by Dr. Marshall Flowers, vice president for academic affairs and Dr. Brian Hill, director of the Master of Arts in biomedical sciences program. Dr. David W. Olive completed the conferring of degrees. Candidates for graduation included:
Hazna F. Afzahul-Alam of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Kristin Aldridge of Mansfield, Texas
Yaidel Luis Alvare of Miami, Florida
Masarath Aman of Louisville, Kentucky
Biruk Beli Amare of Springfield, Virginia
Chad Thomas Amos of Roanoke, Virginia
Abenaa Amoakowaa Asare of Dumfries, Virginia
Emmanuel E. Ayompe, Jr. of Bowie, Maryland
Roxana Bahani of Huntsville, Alabama
Jaimie Marina Barrera of Fairfax, Virginia
Joshua D. Beck of Huntsville, Alabama
Dylan Begun of West Bloomfield, Michigan
Faith Abigail Bowen of Goldsboro, North Carolina
Jessica L. Burns of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
Brittney Kate Burton of Spotsylvania, Virginia
Ashton Alexander Campbell of Auburn, Alabama
Mary Rose Canlas of Yigo, Guam
James Bowie Carr of Columbia, Maryland
Liza Grace Chafin of Lugoff, South Carolina
Anjali Sathees Chandra of Dallas, Texas
Vandana Chaudhary of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Parika Chauhan of Delran, New Jersey
Melissa Royce Cheong of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Brianna Rachelle Childress of Coeburn, Virginia
Robert M. Chory of Floral Park, New York
Nicholas Pascua de Guzman of Paintsville, Kentucky
Mubat Mantoan Nahbilah Dohvoma of Burtonsville, Maryland
Patrick Dugan of Erie, Pennsylvania
Madison Maxine Ellis of Flushing, Michigan
Thomas Evans of Woodbine, Georgia
Haley Felts of Wytheville, Virginia
Justin Tyler Fox of Spartanburg, South Carolina
Samuel Freytes Rivera of Fredericksburg, Virginia
Benjamin A. Gallagher of Bismark, North Dakota
Parth Gandhi of Burlington, North Carolina
Beatrice Garrido of Weston, Florida
Muhammad Tayyeb Ghaffar of Spartanburg, South Carolina
Jacob Benjamin Glazer of Leawood, Kansas
Gulshan Kaur Grewal of Rock Springs, Wyoming
Benjamin Joseph Harris of Denver, Colorado
Timothy B. Harris of Decatur, Alabama
Christian Arnulfo Hernandez of Alexandria, Virginia
Mackenzie D. Huff of Powell, Tennessee
Oyinemi Filius Iyebote of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Manpreet Kaur of Baltimore, Maryland
Frances Kimball of Bridgton, Maine
Kaelin Karin Kiss of Pembroke Pines, Florida
Anastasia Fayth-Marie Kalousek of Franklin, North Carolina
Piyush Kumar of Greenwood, South Carolina
Rebekah Elizabeth Kurtaneck of Warsaw, Indiana
Umair Latif of Yorktown, Virginia
Akerria Lashay Lee of New Iberia, Louisiana
Sibongile Lubasi Kutoma of Burnsville, Minnesota
Kashan Mahmood of Marietta, Georgia
Eva Lorraine Mathews of Greensboro, North Carolina
Adair Madeline McCabe of Roanoke, Virginia
Curtis Lee McInnis, Jr. of Forestville, Maryland
Samantha M. McKee of Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Evan Kyle McKenzie of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Julie Mehta of Chantilly, Virginia
Caci K. Meyers of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Charity T. Miles of Saint Louis Park, Minnesota
Michael Christopher Mitkos of Roanoke, Virginia
Colton Avery Morrow of Cleveland, Tennessee
Anani Muradyan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Riya Parul Nag of McLean, Virginia
Adam Nguyen of Davenport, Iowa
Alina Minh-Hieu Nguyen of Glen Allen, Virginia
Steven Nguyen of Boyds, Maryland
Kiersten Elizabeth Nielsen of Cape Coral, Florida
Dina Nour of Annandale, Virginia
Amee Magan Pansuriya of Westminster, Maryland
Patricia Pittman of Greensboro, North Carolina
Juan Quesada Olarte of Saint Peter, Minnesota
Stephanie M. Quist of Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina
Richu A. Raju of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jacqueline Marie Rocco of North Carolina
Matthew Russell of Williamsburg, Virginia
Yasasvi Sabbineni of West Palm Beach, Florida
Inderjit Sandha of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Seth Schroeder of Des Moines, Iowa
Ami Piyush Shah of Leesburg, Virginia
Ayesha Shah of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Yongdeok Shin of Richmond, Virginia
James Montgomery Shumate of Cape Carteret, North Carolina
Saif Siddiqui of Orlando, Florida
Ashley Sipe of Charleston, South Carolina
Meera Soman of Atlanta, Georgia
Samantha Sorrow of Greenwood, South Carolina
Bethany Spracher of Bluefield, West Virginia
Shavanni Sydnor of Ruther Glen, Virginia
Paul Francis Tecklenburg, Jr. of Charleston, South Carolina
Seruz Tehrani of Woodstock, Virginia
David Minh Tran of Evansville, Indiana
Robert Tuosto of Radford, Virginia
Troy David Unland, II of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Paola Uscanga of Damascus, Maryland
Yaser Mohammad Valiuddin of Ellicott City, Maryland
Melissa Valletti of Clearwater, Florida
Trieu Thi Hai of Falls Church, Virginia
Tharangini Vummadi of Piscataway, New Jersey
Kevin Joseph Waggoner of Midlothian, Virginia
Melissa M. Walker of North Chesterfield, Virginia
Anastasia Nicole Walloga of Waterford, Virginia
Joshua Wasdin of Ludowici, Georgia
LaToya Katisha Watkins of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jacob T. Weiderman of Clearwater, Florida
Gabrielle Wentling of Fredericksburg, Virginia
Maya Jade Williams of Giles County, Virginia
Haylee Elizabeth Wilson of Westernport, Maryland
Leah A. Wilson of Charleston, South Carolina
Austin Aaron Wood of Botetourt, Virginia
Shianne April Wood of Troutville, Virginia
Shihan Zhang of Orlando, Florida