IWU Class of 2005 Receives Diplomas
By Alan Miller
4/25/05

A total of 1,158 Indiana Wesleyan University students received their diplomas during three graduation ceremonies Saturday, April 30, at Luckey Arena on IWU's main campus in Marion.

Among the graduates were:

• Wendy Perkins, who graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. degree in psychology. Ms. Perkins, who was given a standing ovation by her classmates and faculty members, lost her sight when she was 16. She plans to take a year off from her studies and then attend graduate school.
• Caleb Dimmich, who was awarded a B.S. degree, posthumously, in marketing and management. Mr. Dimmich, who was the leading scorer and captain of the IWU men's basketball team, was killed in a farming accident the summer after his junior year. Caleb's parents accepted the diploma.

Dr. C.R. Snyder, the Erik M. Wright Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Kansas, spoke at all three graduation ceremonies and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

As a researcher, Dr. Snyder has written 22 books and 206 scholarly research articles.

Crystal Yu Jie Hou, a senior pastor of two churches in the northern Chinese province of Manchuria, spoke at a baccalaureate service on Friday, April 29. She received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.

Pastor Crystal began traveling from village to village as an evangelist 15 years ago. As a result of her ministry, more than 300 underground house churches have been established. More than 100,000 Christians worship in those house churches.

In addition to Saturday's ceremonies, IWU also has three graduations in August and three in December.

Alan Miller is the University Relations Director at Indiana Wesleyan University.