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VWU to Welcome Fifth Batten Honors College Class
The new class will be welcomed with the traditional Matriculation Ceremony on August 20
University News | July 12, 2021
This fall Virginia Wesleyan University will welcome the fifth class for its highly selective Batten Honors College. Founded in 2016 with the first class enrolled in 2017, the Batten Honors College has quickly emerged as a national niche program of the University.
The program boasts a 93 percent retention rate and 88 percent VWU graduation rate. The first class graduated this spring with a cumulative college GPA of 3.6 (on a 4.0 scale).
The newest class of scholars boasts a collective high school GPA of 4.16 (on a 4.0 scale) and an average SAT score of 1353. Students hail from all over the country—Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.
Congratulations to the following new Marlins:
| Erin Andrews - Raleigh, NC | Audrey Roberts - Casper, WY |
| Katelyn Baker - Nokesville, VA | Landon Rockwell - Georgetown, DE |
| Casey Bennett - Williamsburg, VA | Stephen Schneider - Wappingers Falls, NY |
| Sarah Blackburn - Fredericksburg, VA | Samantha Silvia - Virginia Beach, VA |
| Lucas Bukowski - Brick, NJ | Harrison Smith - Alexandria, VA |
| Kirkland Butler - Norfolk, VA | Gabriella Snowman - Anacortes, WA |
| Kyleigh Castengera - Jacksonville, FL | Joshua Spicer - Pipersville, PA |
| Sainandan Challagundla - New Port Richey, FL | Alyssa Stepp - Windsor, VA |
| Kaitlyn Duswalt - Leonardtown, MD | Adam Sterling - Upper Marlboro, MD |
| Jenna Elswick - Chesapeake, VA | Ronaldinio Stickley - West Point, VA |
| Isabelle Gaudet - Lynbrook, NY | Rowan Stuart - Nissequoge, NY |
| Amalia Houff - Honolulu, HI | Sara Traver - Purcellville, VA |
| Kimberly Koscinski - Point Pleasant, NJ | Jessica Warden - Virginia Beach, VA |
| Emma Lankford - Pocomoke, MD | Jenna Waters - Herndon, VA |
| Christopher Lopez - Sparks, MD | Evelyn Weaver - Lancaster, PA |
| Jalen Major - Virginia Beach, VA | Emma Wehr - Virginia Beach, VA |
| James McArthur - Somerset, KY | Jessica Wilson - Trenton, NJ |
| Marco Molino - Alexandria, VA | Zuri Wilson - Virginia Beach, VA |
| Emily Moody - Milton, DE | Lauren Wynn - Bel Air, MD |
| Josiah Palma - Chesapeake, VA | Madelyn Yale - Egg Harbor Township, NJ |
| Christian Palmisano - Califon, NJ | Kayla Yokom - Sherman, NY |
The newest Batten Honors College class will be welcomed with the traditional Matriculation Ceremony on August 20 at 4 p.m. A pinning ceremony in recognition of their completion of orientation and formal induction into the program will be held on September 9 as a part of the University's Founders Day celebration.
The Batten Honors College is gratefully named for Virginia Wesleyan Trustee Emerita Jane P. Batten and her late husband, Frank Batten, Sr. For nearly 40 years, Mrs. Batten has been a force for change, improvement, and empowerment, and she believes deeply that students of the highest academic ability will flourish through this innovative program. The University community is endlessly grateful for her passion for knowledge and her enduring support.
Read the Summer 2021 edition of Excelsis, a publication of the Batten Honors College