Alston-Mills ’66 delivers keynote address Brenda Alston-Mills, Ph.D. ’66 gave the keynote address. She is an emeritus trustee for Lycoming and a biology professor emeritus at North Carolina State University. A respected alumna, she was an ambassador for Lycoming College Prep, a program that has brought high-achieving, first-generation rising seniors from across the nation to the Lycoming campus for a hands-on introduction to the liberal arts, college life, and mentoring programs that help them pursue a post-secondary education. Her extensive travels and understanding of other cultures allowed Alston-Mills to be a strong mentor for students from all countries and backgrounds. Her knowledge of languages, coupled with her academic training, enabled her to pursue studies in the biology of mammary glands as it relates to breast cancer research, and to share her philosophy of teaching and her research nationally and internationally. Alston-Mills challenged the graduates to “step up and step out” at the end of her address. “Forever forward as long as it’s positive, not by the energy of idle motion, but by the energy of action. Now, in a world of turmoil and often loss of hope, the world needs you,” she said. Alston-Mills was recognized by the College in 2001 with the Dr. James E. Douthat Outstanding Achievement Award. Lycoming’s Black Student Union awarded her the Black Alumni Achievement Award in 2018. In addition to her service as a Lycoming College trustee, she served on the Alumni Association Executive Board. In recognition of her distinguished, extensive, and inspiring contributions to higher learning, Lycoming bestowed Alston-Mills with an honorary Doctor of Laws during this year’s commencement ceremony. Fayla Guerin ’22, a corporate communication major with a minor in film and video arts, delivered the senior greeting (see page 1). Guerin’s leadership on campus includes her service as treasurer of Student Senate during her junior year, and as president during her senior year. She has been an advocate for the student experience at Lycoming, helping various clubs and organizations navigate pandemic protocols while seeking to maintain student engagement in campus life. As a sister of Gamma Delta Sigma, she served as vice president, and she worked for admissions as a campus tour guide. the Cl 16 LYCOMING COLLEGE 2022 SPRING MAGAZINE
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