Ashby Clements (right) of Rockbridge County accepts the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award, sponsored by the Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Educational Foundation, from DSLCC President Dr. John Rainone during the Friday night commencement exercises, one of three such ceremonies held on the Clifton Forge campus. Clements earned a Certificate in Welding from DSLCC in 2015 and owns and operates Fire Mountain Fabrication. He and his family run a non-profit organization, East4West, that ministers to the Navajo Indian Reservation. Previous recipients of the award, established in 2017, included banker Steven Leitch; local businessman John Stone; Julie Persinger-Gardiner, with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; and DSLCC Librarian Nova Wright.
Brandy Mitchell of Lexington was recognized as the recipient of the Gary Lee Miller Outstanding Graduate Award during Saturday morning commencement exercises, one of three such ceremonies hosted by Dabney S. Lancaster Community College on the Clifton Forge campus. Mitchell, who earned an Associate Degree in Business Management, as well as a Certificate in Small Business Management and a Career Studies Certificate in Business Fundamentals, is a very active member of her community, serving in various volunteer positions. The award is named for Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Gary Lee Miller.
Bruce Olson, who taught physical education and health classes at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College for a total of 56 years, was honored during the 2021 commencement exercises with the designation of “Professor Emeritus,” the first time that the award, the highest such designation established by the Virginia Community College System for a faculty member, has been presented by the College. Olson is believed to the be the only faculty member who has served under all four presidents of the College.