William Woods University is pleased to announce that Dr. Sherri Thomas, the principal at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Jefferson City, Missouri, will give the 2017 graduate commencement address on Saturday, May 6.
“After many years in public education, Dr. Thomas is motivated, energetic, and desirous of sharing what she knows with fellow educators,” said Dr. Betsy Tutt, vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the Graduate College. “She is a lifelong learner.”
Dr. Thomas has played many roles in education, including: teaching numerous middle school classes, acting as assistant principal at Rolla Middle School, serving as an adjunct professor of education at William Woods, Columbia College, and Hannibal-LaGrange University, and now overseeing Lewis and Clark Middle School as its principal.
After receiving a B.S.E from Hannibal-LaGrange, an M.A. from Truman University, and an Ed.S. from Union University, Dr. Thomas earned her doctorate in education from William Woods in 2015, while she was a practicing principal.
She has also been the recipient of numerous awards. In 2017 alone, Dr. Thomas was nominated for the 2017 “Women of Achievement” award, given by the Jefferson City Zonta Club, and the Missouri Association of Secondary Principals named her Middle School Principal of the Year for the Central Region.
In her commencement speech, Dr. Thomas will discuss how to have the courage and confidence to continue to grow professionally and personally.
“I enjoy watching students grow professionally,” she said. “It will be an honor for me to witness the achievement of their goals and the celebration of their hard work and perseverance during the graduation ceremony.”