BOONE— N.C. State Superintendent of Public Instruction June St. Clair Atkinson will be guest speaker at the Dec. 16 commencement at Appalachian State University.

More than 800 undergraduate students and 240 graduate students have applied for graduation.

A ceremony for graduates of the Reich College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences will be held at 10 a.m. the Holmes Convocation Center.

A ceremony for graduates of the Walker College of Business, the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and the Hayes School of Music will begin at 2 p.m. at the Holmes Center.

Atkinson will speak at both ceremonies.

Atkinson has served as the state superintendent of public instruction since August 2005 and is the first woman elected to the post.

As state superintendent, Atkinson heads the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, an agency which she served for nearly 30 years as a chief consultant and director in the areas of business education, career and technical education, and instructional services.

A former business education teacher, Atkinson has been involved in instruction and curriculum development throughout her career. Improving instructional quality and student learning, creating environments that enable teacher and student success, and ensuring that education is modern and relevant are key priorities for Atkinson.

She has received the Women of Achievement Award from the General Federation of Women’s Club, the Distinguished Alumna Award from the N.C. State University College of Education, the Inclusive Leadership Award from the N.C. Association of Educators, and the Friends of Education Award from the N.C. Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.

She is the past president of the National Business Education Association, the Southern Regional Education Board’s High Schools That Work, and the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education.

In addition to her many honors, she has been published in numerous magazines and professional organization yearbooks, has authored two books related to technology, and made presentations to business and other educational groups in 43 states and throughout North Carolina.

Atkinson grew up in rural Bedford County, Va., where she attended public schools and graduated from Staunton River High School, Moneta, Va., in 1966. She received a B.S. in business education from Radford University in 1969, an M.S. in vocational and technical education from Virginia Tech in 1974, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from N.C. State University in 1996.

After graduating from Radford, Atkinson taught high school in Roanoke, Va., and Charlotte.

###