Northwestern College to award 301 diplomas during May 12 commencement ceremony

Northwestern College will award degrees to 301 students during its annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12. Forty-three students will receive Master of Education degrees; 237, Bachelor of Arts degrees, and 21, Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.

In addition, Trey Poppema of Orange City will receive a certificate of completion as the first student to graduate from the Northwestern NEXT program, a two-year campus life and learning experience for 18- to 22-year-olds with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Commencement will begin at 10 a.m. in the Rowenhorst Student Center. Dr. Beverly DeVries, professor emerita of education at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla., will give the commencement address. The baccalaureate service will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, in Christ Chapel. Mark DeYounge, dean of Christian formation, will deliver the homily. The following live webcasts will be provided on Northwestern's website: baccalaureate service and commencement ceremony.

DeVries is a lifelong educator who taught in Iowa, Michigan and Oklahoma for 19 years, then spent another 23 years preparing the next generation of teachers at Southern Nazarene University. Now retired, she continues to stay active in her field through literacy organizations and writing. She is a member of the Professional Standards and Ethics Committee of the International Literacy Association (ILA) and serves as the lead writer on the ILA Standards Committee. She is also an auditor for program reports at the state and national level for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)/ILA.

DeVries has written several college education textbooks on children’s literature, early reading literacy and language arts. She is the author of “Literacy Assessment and Strategies for the Classroom Teacher” and co-author of “Essentials of Integrating the Language Arts” and “Sharing the Journey: Literature for Young Children.” In addition, she presents state and national workshops on creating successful reading programs.

DeVries graduated from Northwestern College in 1968, then earned a master’s degree from Western Michigan University and a Doctor in Education degree from Oklahoma State University. She served on Northwestern’s Board of Trustees for eight years. In 2006, she and her husband, Merlyn, a corporate chief financial officer and CPA, were named the recipients of Northwestern’s Distinguished Professional Achievement Award.