Rep. Lucy Allen to Speak at Spring Graduation At VGCC; Record Number Set to Graduate
State Rep. Lucy T. Allen of Louisburg will be the commencement speaker for Vance-Granville Community College’s Spring Graduation on Friday, May 12. Robert Newhouse of Oxford, president of Vance-Granville’s Student Government Association, will be the student speaker
The largest number of graduates in history, about 450, are expected to receive their degrees, certificates and diplomas at ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. at the gazebo by the campus lake.
Rep. Allen is a resident of Louisburg. She was mayor of that town from1985 to 2002 and was elected to represent House District 79 in the N.C. General Assembly in 2003. She also served on the Franklin County Board of Education from 1972 to 1980.
A graduate of Meredith College with an A.B. in English, Rep. Allen also studied at Duke University. She taught language arts and social studies in middle school.
In the 2005-2006 General Assembly, she served as chair of the Transportation Committee. She was also vice chair of the Appropriations Committee on Natural and Economic Resources and served on the Appropriations, Commerce, Insurance, Judiciary II and Local Governments committees.
Rep Allen is a member of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Franklin County Economic Development Commission, Person Place Preservation Society and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. She has received numerous awards for her public service, including being named Citizen of the Year for 1980 in Franklin County.
Robert Newhouse was reared in the Cokesbury community of Vance County. Following graduation from Vance Senior High School, he served in the U.S. Marines in such far-flung locations as Okinawa, Japan, Beirut, Lebanon, Korea, The Philippines and California.
After operating a landscaping business for 14 years, Newhouse returned to school in 2003, enrolling in Vance-Granville Community College. He was president of the college’s Ambassadors in 2004-2005, and has served as the Student Government Association this school year. He will graduate May 12 with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Recreation & Leisure Studies. He plans to continue his education at N.C. Central University and the Southeastern Baptist Seminary.
Newhouse’s wife, Pamela, is a 1999 graduate of VGCC’s Associate Degree Nursing program. She is a registered nurse and nursing supervisor at Murdoch Center. They have one daughter, Emilee, 12.
