Gustavus Adolphus College senior Chloe Radcliffe has been chosen by a committee of faculty, staff, and students to speak at the College’s commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 27. Radcliffe, who has maintained a grade point average of 3.9, will graduate with a degree in mathematics and a minor in theatre.
“I’m so honored to have the opportunity to address the class of 2012,” Radcliffe said. “I’m looking at this as a chance to say thank you to Gustavus, the professors, and the whole community for making the last four years so wonderful.”
Radcliffe, a native of Prior Lake, Minn., is best known on campus for helping to build the Gustavus forensics team into one of the top programs in the nation. With significant contributions from Radcliffe, the team earned a top 10 national ranking among all colleges and universities the past three years. Radcliffe was a five-time national finalist and won two individual event national championships during her college career at the American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET), including one in Prose in 2011 and one in After Dinner Speaking in 2012. She placed fourth in the individual sweepstakes at this year’s AFA-NIET and is the only Gustavus student in the program’s history to finish in the top 20.
“Even having been on forensics’ largest stages and winning multiple national championships, Chloe considers being chosen as this year’s commencement speaker to be one of her greatest accomplishments,” said Kristofer Kracht, director of the College’s forensics program. “The Gustavus community will be engaged by her unique approach, her perspectives on a liberal arts education, and her overall wit. I am excited that the larger Gustavus community will be able to see her grace the stage one final time.”
While her accomplishments with the forensics team are indeed impressive, her involvement on campus the past four years doesn’t end there. An active member of the College’s theatre program, Radcliffe was a cast member in the performances of Hamlet, On Ego, and the Physical Theatre Project. She was a member of the LineUs Improv Comedy Troupe and the Crossroads International Program. She is a member of the Guilds of St. Ansgar and St. Lucia and was recently inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honors society. Radcliffe has also been asked to speak publicly on behalf of the College numerous times including at the dedication ceremony for Beck Academic Hall and for several admissions events.
“I fell in love with Gustavus from day one in a way that I had no idea that I would,” Radcliffe said. “The Gustavus community has taught me so many things, but one thing that I will always remember from my time here is the fact that if you want to do something and make a difference in this world, there are always people around you who will support you.”
Radcliffe will begin her life after Gustavus at Target headquarters in Minneapolis as she has secured a position as a Business Analyst that will begin in September.
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