Justin Henkel of Newtown was one of 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students to receive a degree during Boston College’s 132nd Commencement Exercises, held on May 19 on the school’s Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Justin earned a bachelor of arts degree from the university’s College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in mathematics.

King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., recently announced the students who qualified for the spring 2008 Dean’s List, which requires students to achieve a grade point average of 3.4 or higher. Among those named was Erin McDonald of Sandy Hook, a 2007 graduate of Newtown High School.

Jennifer Esther Nichols, BA Swarthmore College, MSS Bryn Mawr College, daughter of Ester and Cliff Nichols of Sandy Hook, graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with a master of divinity on May 17. After completing a summer internship as a chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital, she will serve as chaplain at Moravian Academy, a K–12 independent school in Bethlehem, Penn.

Endicott College, in Beverly, Mass., recently announced its spring 2008 Dean’s List and among the students who obtained at least a grade point average of 3.5, received no grade lower than a C, and was enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits for the semester was Brittany Pasko. Brittany is the daughter of Ann Lindenmeyer of Newtown and Lawrence Pasko of Ridgefield. She is a sophomore majoring in psychology.

Jessica Maria Schmalz of Sandy Hook received a bachelor of arts degree in international studies and Spanish during Hollins University’s 166th commencement ceremony on May 18. Jessica graduated magna cum laude with departmental honors in international studies from the university. She was also named an Honor Student for the 2008 spring semester. To do this, students at the Roanoke, Va., school must earn at least 3.5 average on a 4.0 grading scale.

Jessica, daughter of John and Jaeo Schmalz, is a 2004 graduate of Newtown High School.

About 1,200 students were named to the spring 2008 Dean’s List at Keene State College, Keene, N.H., including Olga J. Virgalla of Newtown. Olga graduated from Newtown High School in 2007 and is majoring in communications.

Caitlin Weber from Newtown was named to the Dean’s List at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va., for the spring 2008 semester. To achieve Dean’s List status, a full-time degree-seeking undergraduate student must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a 3.6 Quality Point Average during the semester.

Scott Alan Whalley of Sandy Hook has been named to the spring semester Dean’s List at Radford University, Radford, Va. Scott, son of Kirk and Kate Whalley, is a sophomore criminal justice major. To be named to Dean’s List, a student must have taken 15 or more credit hours and have a grade point average of 3.4 or above, with no grade below a C.

Ed Wolf of Newtown, a computer engineering student at Rochester Institute of Technology, participated in the recent RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival. Ed presented the iTheater Macintosh Media Center, during which visitors saw software that allowed users to navigate multimedia content including DVDs, videos, photos, and music in an aesthetically pleasing environment.

Ed is the son of Barbara and Edward Wolf , and is a 2005 graduate of Newtown High School.

Two local residents earned Highest Honors at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for the spring semester. Stephen Giacolone, Class of 2009, the son of Robert and Laurel Giacolone of Newtown, and Tara Ryan, also Class of 2009, the daughter of Jack and Patricia Ryan of Sandy Hook, both earned the honors, which are awarded for a quality point ratio of 3.670 or more from a possible 4.0.