Defiance College graduate received highest honor at commencement
May 10, 2016
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Graduating senior Katelyn Haydett of Saint Clair Shores, Mich., was
awarded Defiance College’s highest honor, the bronze Pilgrim Medal, for the leadership
and integrity she demonstrated as a student. She received this honor during the commencement
ceremony on May 7.
The bronze Pilgrim Medal is awarded to graduating seniors who give the most promise of exemplifying the traits enumerated on the medal: reliance in self, pride in work, courage in conscience, strength in education, and faith in God.
During her time as a student, Haydett demonstrated leadership and integrity at Defiance College, as well as a strong commitment to campus involvement as a Service Leader, Project 701 manager for the DC Art Box, Orientation Leader, Ambassador, and Senior Resident Assistant. She also served on the Presidential Search Committee.
She has been a presenter at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference as well as during the Honors and McMaster symposia on campus. She traveled to Tanzania four times with the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity. As a McMaster Scholar in Tanzania, Haydett applied her academic knowledge by completing water testing in two rural villages and teaching an elders group how to monitor vital signs.
As a four-year letter-winner for the softball program, Haydett was viewed as a leader and a dedicated teammate. Her Pilgrim Medal citation noted that she displayed traits of an exemplary role model and serves as a true example of what it means to defy the ordinary.
Haydett graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology with a minor in chemistry.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
