Five local students earned degrees from Berry College during their recent commencement.

Jayne Curtis, Magna Cum Laude, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, Calhoun; Lacey Meadows, Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Calhoun; Andrew Purser, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, Calhoun; Lucila Thompson, Master of Education, Calhoun; Sydney Brehm, Bachelor of Science in Animal Science.

The Rev. Wayne Meisel, president of The Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, challenged graduates to explore, create and inspire in his keynote address at Berry College’s May 8 spring commencement. During the ceremony, he was presented with Berry’s Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his work with the Bonner Foundation, a national philanthropic organization based in Princeton, N.J., that promotes a culture of service and provides service-based scholarships on more than 80 college campuses nationwide, Berry among them.

More than 280 students earned bachelor’s or master’s degrees during the afternoon ceremony, held on the Memorial Library lawn. Among those addressing the huge gathering was graduating senior Ashley Anglin, a double-major in psychology and Spanish who is preparing to pursue her Ph.D. at the University of Hawaii.

Two members of the Berry faculty, Dr. Larry Marvin and Dr. Susan Logsdon-Conradsen, were singled out for special recognition during the event. Dr. Marvin, recently promoted professor of history, was honored as the 2010 recipient of the Mary S. and Samuel Poe Carden Award, while Dr. Logsdon-Conradsen, associate professor of psychology and director of women’s studies, claimed the Dave and Lu Garrett Award for Meritorious Teaching.