LM
Letea McAvena
  • Occupational Therapy assistant
  • Class of 2012
  • Bidwell, OH

Letea McAvena, of Bidwell, graduated at Shawnee State University

2012 Jul 2

More than 400 students graduated from Shawnee State University at Spring Commencement Saturday, May 5, on the campus' Alumni Green with nearly 4,000 people in attendance. Letea McAvena, of Bidwell, graduated with an associate degree in Occupational Therapy Ast.

"While today may look like a lot of similar events going on all across our country, you have achieved something very few people accomplish," SSU President Rita Rice Morris said in her opening speech. "You are part of a unique group - in the nation, in the state, and in the southern Ohio region."

According to reports, only one-in-four Ohio high school graduates earn a college degree and only 10% of the population in southern Ohio earns a college degree.

Shawnee State is a student-focused university offering a highly personalized, affordable and accessible education dedicated to the exploration of emerging technologies and emerging ideas.

SSU offers more than 80 bachelor's and associate degree programs and three master's degree programs. Shawnee State is both academically challenging and affordable. The university offers modern apartment-style residences and small class sizes with dedicated faculty.

Located in Portsmouth, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River, SSU features 21 buildings including the Advanced Technology Center that houses one of only 50 Digistar II planetariums in the world.

The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts features a 1,139-seat Main Theater, a black box theater, art gallery, and fine arts classrooms. Nearly 4,700 students were enrolled at SSU in the 2011-12 school year including 35 international students.