Saint Leo University to Hold Savannah Commencement

Dr. M. Ann Levett, superintendent of Savannah-Chatham Public Schools, will give the commencement address for Saint Leo University’s Savannah Education Center Class of 2018. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 9, at the Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah, GA 31401.

About 170 students will receive degrees with 17 earning their Master of Business Administration degrees; 10 earning their Master of Science in criminal justice degrees; five receiving Master of Science in human services degrees; one receiving a Master of Social Work degree; and one earning a master’s degree in emergency disaster management; and one receiving a master’s degree in cybersecurity. The majority of the students will earn Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and associate degrees.

Giving the Class of 2018 farewell will be Tawanna T. Jackson, who is earning her Master of Science degree in criminal justice: behavioral studies, and Timothy W. Holland, who is earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice: homeland security.

An honorary degree will be conferred to Deacon George H. Foster Sr., chairman of the Board and President of Coordinated Health Services for St. Vincent de Paul Health Clinic and Good Samaritan Respite Center in Augusta, Georgia. Foster helped start Saint Leo’s Master of Theology degree program with the Diocese of Savannah.

Leading the new graduates in the turning of their tassels and welcoming them as new alumni will be Victoria Barnwell-Carrington of the Class of 2017.

Commencement speaker Levett is a native of Savannah and product of the local school system, served in the position of chief academic officer of Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) from 2013 to 2017, where she also served as deputy superintendent of schools. She was selected as superintendent in June 2017.

Saint Leo University’s Savannah Education Center will be moving to a new location for the Fall 1 Semester. Classes now are being offered at St. John Baptist Church, 2415 E DeRenne Ave.,

Savannah, GA 31406. Stephanie Stinski is the center’s director. For more information, call (912) 352-8331.

About Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University (www.saintleo.edu) is a modern Catholic teaching university that is firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition and the timeless Benedictine wisdom that seeks balanced growth of mind, body, and spirit. The Saint Leo University of today is a private, nonprofit institution that creates hospitable learning communities wherever students want to be or need to be, whether that is a campus classroom, a web-based environment, an employer’s worksite, a military base, or an office park. Saint Leo welcomes people of all faiths and of no religious affiliation, and encourages learners of all generations. The university is committed to providing educational opportunities to the nation’s armed forces, veterans, and their families. Saint Leo is regionally accredited to award degrees ranging from the associate to the doctorate, and the faculty and staff guide all students to develop their capacities for critical thinking, moral reflection, and lifelong learning and leadership.

The university remains the faithful steward of the beautiful lakeside University Campus in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, where its founding monks created the first Catholic college in the state in 1889. Serving more than 13,000 students, Saint Leo has expanded to downtown Tampa, to other sites in Florida and beyond, and maintains a physical presence in seven states. The university provides highly respected online learning programs to students nationally and internationally. More than 94,000 alumni reside in all 50 states, in Washington, DC, in three U.S. territories, and in 76 countries.

Media Contact: Mary McCoy, University Writer & Media Relations, mary.mccoy02@saintleo.edu, (352) 588-7118 or cell (813) 610-8416