Former first lady Laura Bush, an advocate for education, global health and human rights, will headline the 2011 Grove City College Commencement ceremony May 14 and help launch a $90-million capital campaign, the largest in College history, later that evening. The campaign launch celebration will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Grove City Matters: A Campaign to Advance Grove City College will raise funds for a Christian Activities Building; a Science, Engineering and Mathematics Building; The Center for Vision & Values program; The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation program; scholarships and unrestricted giving.

At Commencement, Mrs. Bush will address graduates in an outdoor ceremony at 10 a.m. on the Quad between Harbison Chapel and Crawford Hall on campus. In the case of inclement weather, Commencement will be moved to the Arena of the Physical Learning Center.

Mrs. Laura Bush is actively involved in issues of national and global concern, with a particular emphasis on education, health care and human rights. She has investigated and showcased successful programs for early childhood education, at-risk youth, global literacy and preservation of our national parks and our country’s national treasures. And through her travels to more than 76 countries, including historic trips to Afghanistan, Mrs. Bush has helped launch groundbreaking educational and healthcare programs for women.

Born in Midland, Texas, to Harold and Jenna Welch, Mrs. Bush holds a degree in education with a master’s degree in library science. She taught in public schools in Dallas, Houston and Austin and worked as a public school librarian. In 1977, she met and married George Walker Bush. They are parents of twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna.

Her memoir, “Spoken From the Heart,” is a New York Times No. 1 bestseller.

On May 13, Rev. Dr. John Guest, former senior pastor of Christ Church at Grove Farm in Sewickley, PA, will headline the College’s Baccalaureate service.

The service will also be held on the Quad and moved indoors in case of inclement weather.

Guest is a well-known speaker throughout the United States, conducting evangelist campaigns in 14 nations for more than 1.5 million people. Credited with starting contemporary Christian music, Guest formed a group that evangelized college students on campuses throughout the U.S. from 1966 to 1971. Co-founder of the Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and the South American Missionary Society, Guest is an author of 10 books and can be heard on WORD radio daily on “LifeFocus with John Guest.”

Guest served as the College’s Baccalaureate speaker in 1996 and 1979, for which he received an honorary doctorate. Guest founded the Coalition for Christian Outreach, which is still active on the Grove City College campus today.

Source: http://www.gcc.edu/Commencement,_campaign_launch_to_feature_Laura_Bush.php

[Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]