COMMENCEMENT NEWS Valedictorians (left) Douglas Bowen ’17 and (right) Michael C. Scott ’17; Interim President William J. Taggart, salutatorian Gerard Vanloo ’17 and Provost Michael Hodge
Straight-A Scholars Share Valedictorian Title at Commencement ’17 by D. AILEEN DODD Morehouse College alumni Douglas Bowen and Michael C. Scott cherish the memory of 2017 Commencement when the graduates were honored as valedictorians for achieving perfect 4.0 grade point averages in their senior year. Scott, of Rockville, Md., and Bowen, of Montego Bay, Jamaica, both graduated with degrees in economics. Scott also minored in Chinese studies. “Being named valedictorian is an honor that I share with everyone who has helped me get this far,” said Scott, a straight-A student who has been giving valedictory speeches since elementary school. “Giving such a speech to my community at Morehouse College was humbling.” Scott is now working as an analyst with the Global Investment Research Division at Goldman Sachs. Last summer, he spent a month in Berlin serving as a Humanity In Action Program fellow. During Scott’s years at Morehouse College, he was often recognized for academic excellence. He was a junior inductee of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Economics Honor Society, and Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society. Scott was awarded the Goldman Sachs Scholarship for Excellence and the E.B. Williams Award for being a top scholar in the Division of Business Administration and Economics. In addition, he was president of the Morehouse College Chinese Club and the Investment Finance Club, and was deputy managing editor of Maroon Tiger Media Group, which publishes the student newspaper.
68
morehouse magazine • 150 years of excellence
Bowen was the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. He was also the valedictorian of his high school in Jamaica. He received a full scholarship to Morehouse and maintained straight A’s throughout his years at Morehouse. Bowen enrolled in challenging courses and surrounded himself with a circle of friends who shared his academic focus, including co-valedictorian Michael Scott. Bowen also gained work experience. He served as an intern at Deloitte Consulting and Merchant Bank, and traveled to London and Berlin with the Division of Business Administration’s Spring Tour business and cultural exchange program. He was also a Presidential Ambassador at Morehouse College and a member of the International Students Organization, among other organizations. In addition, Bowen received several awards for academic excellence, including the E.B. Williams Award for being a top scholar in the Division of Business Administration and Economics, and for having the highest grade point average in economics. Bowen says that he was elated about his being named a valedictorian for the second time. “The College beckoned, and I answered, and have been grateful ever since, and humbled by these last four years,” he said. Bowen is now working as a financial analyst for BDT Capital Partners, a leading financial firm in Chicago. The salutatorian of the Class of 2017 was Gerard Vanloo, a computer science major from Laurel, Md. He is currently a software developer for IBM Research in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. M