COLUMNIST SPEAKS TO UNIVERSITY GRADS

Southeast Missouri State University graduates shouldn't let any early disappointments or failures deter them, said newspaper columnist Bill McClellan.

McClellan, a former night police reporter and now a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was speaker at the university's spring commencement Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center, where degrees were conferred on more than 1,000 students.

A standing-room-only crowd of more than 7,000 people, plus members of the graduating class, filled the Show Me Center.

McClellan told the group that he originally turned down the offer of being commencement speaker.

"I knew that I was supposed offer some tips for success," he said. "At one time, I was going to write a book on the Seven Habits of an Unsuccessful Person.' I never got past the first chapter."

A Post-Dispatch staff member since 1980, McClellan said some of the students may face struggles at first.

But the good news that he wanted to leave with the graduates is "failures can lead to success."

Drawing on the experience of his own life, the Chicago native told of dropping out of college at the University of Illinois.

McClellan then joined the Marines, and served in Vietnam. He return to school at Arizona State University, then started work at a Phoenix newspaper before migrated back to the Midwest, to the Post-Dispatch.

Since then, he has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Erin Pyle Award.

The graduates heard about other success stories from Dr. Shelton Smith, who introduced the 2000 Young Alumni Merit Award Winners.

These include:

* David Bailey, St. Peters, Mo., 1987, accounting, currently a partner at Saale & Bailey, L.C.

* James Gleason, Sikeston, 1986, finance, currently president and chief operating officer at Galaxy Cablevision.

* Erin Reilly, Topeka, Kan., 1986, physical education, currently a lecturer in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science at Washburn, University;

* Teresa Tuschoff, Ballwin, 1993, health managment, now president and CEO of Corporate Health Systems.

* Curtis Poore, Jackson, 1987, political science, currently an attorney with Limbaugh, Russell, Payne and Howard.

* Deborah Kerber-Rehr, Chesterfield, 1986, biology, owner/optometrist of Resler-Kerber Optometry, Inc.

* Carl Seyer, Tamaroa, Ill., 1993, industrial technology, now quality engineer at Nascote Industries, Inc.

Graduates also heard from Kimberly Mothershead, a 1982 Southeast Missouri graduate, and now a member of the university's Board of Regents.

"You are now a part of the Southeast Missouri State University family," said Mothershead. "We're here for you."

Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins offered opening and closing remarks at the 127th commencement exercise and degrees were conferred on 1,009 graduates 887 undergraduates and 122 graduate students.

An Honors Convocation was held at the Show Me Center earlier Saturday, where 208 undergraduates and 67 graduates students were honored.

Leading the class of undergraduates were are 11 students with perfect 4.0 grade point averages -- Elizabeth Skomal of St. Peters, Mo.; Julie Ravanelli of Piedmont, Mo.; Melissa Jones of Poplar Bluff; Amy Jansen of Leopold, Mo.; Spring Edwards of Sullivan, Mo.; Julie Forbes of Desloge, Mo.; Amanda Harpster of St. Peter, Ill.; Lori Bles of Kelso; ,Michael Conarroe of Zionsville, Ind.; Carolyn Egbert of Rockford, Mich.; and Kevin Byrd of Neosho, Mo.