INTRODUCTION TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SPRING 2011 STUDENT COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Chair Cloyd, Members of the Board of Trustees, President Wong:

One of the special components of tomorrow’s graduation ceremonies is the student speaker’s commencement address.  I am pleased to introduce the young man who was selected as the student who will address the graduates tomorrow, Mr. Andrew Foster.

Please join me, Andrew.

Andrew is from Ishpeming.  He enrolled at NMU for the first time in the summer of 2001.  In 2003, Andrew enlisted in the army and served for three years - half of that time in Baghdad - being promoted four ranks and receiving multiple medals, ribbons, and awards for leadership in combat.  He returned to Northern in 2006.  Andrew is an Accounting/Corporate Finance major with an Economics minor.  He was named the Outstanding Business graduate this year.

While in school, Andrew has worked at the Help Desk, with Northern Initiatives, and as a sea kayak and fishing guide.  He became a member of the Student Finance Committee in 2007 and has been chair since 2008.  This means he also served as ASNMU treasurer since 2008.  Andrew has been president of the Student Managed Investment Fund, a fund totaling $200,000, since 2008.  He is a member of the Radio X Board of Directors, the North Wind Board of Directors, Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, Beta Alpha Psi, the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council, and the Board of Trustees Strategic Planning Committee.

Andrew graduates magna cum laude tomorrow with a 3.67 grade point average.

He will be working on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska this summer.  In the fall, he will head to Chile to study Spanish and surf.  He hopes to begin a doctoral program in business in the Fall of 2012.

The theme of Andrew’s address tomorrow is that the graduating class should strive to maintain their idealism so they can develop new ideas and new solutions.

Chair Cloyd, I believe you have a presentation to make.