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Bethel Confers 307 Degrees in Spring Commencement

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McKENZIE (May 7) — Bethel University conferred 307 degrees on Saturday, May in the Crisp Arena on the McKenzie campus. Graduates were conferred degrees on the levels of Associates, Bachelors and Masters for both in-person and online students.

Many of the students were enrolled during a worldwide pandemic, which temporarily altered participation in the traditional method of educational instruction.

Bethel President Walter Butler commended the graduates - along with their support system of family members for working toward this moment. He told graduates of the mustard seed, a Biblical parable about the smallest seed that grows to a large plant. He encouraged them to be as the mustard seed.

Dr. Alan Cross, professor of music, was honored for his service to Bethel University. Cross started at Bethel in 1998 and retired at the end of the 2021-22 school year. He was honored with a framed resolution approved by the Board of Trustees. The resolution outlined the history of his career in education.

Shane Petty, Tennessee State Parks Chief Ranger and a Bethel University graduate, was the featured speaker. He said he loves his job, in which the state pays him to ride horses and play with dogs. He is a horse-mounted ranger, who is the handler of a canine tracking dog. He is credited for capturing murder suspect Parker Ray Elliott after a five-day search. Governor Bill Haslam honored him with a Day of Honor for Petty’s lifetime achievement in search and rescue.

He was hired as a ranger 25 years ago by Walter Butler, who worked in the Governor Sundquist administration in the Parks Department. Butler was later commissioner of Personnel.

Petty advanced to chief range in 1997 and oversees 244 commissioned rangers spread across 56 Tennessee state parks.

Butler called Petty one of his closest friends.

Each candidate for graduation crossed the elevated platform after his or her name was announced. Butler presented each with a diploma.