Nicholls awarded 509 degrees during the spring commencement exercises May 17 where Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu presented the address to graduates. Eleven graduates earned the highest academic honors, summa cum laude. To graduate with this honor, students must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 or higher in undergraduate coursework.

They are Sherri Bailey, accounting graduate from Houma; Renee Bourgeois, biology graduate from Vacherie; Lauren Cenac, English graduate from Houma; Jared Foret, history graduate from Houma; Sarah Hotard, biology graduate from Mathews; Lauren LeBlanc, biology graduate from Lutcher; Anthony Marino III, biology graduate from DeRidder; Elizabeth Sanders, English graduate from Gonzales; Erin Toups, biology graduate from Thibodaux; Samantha Tran, accounting graduate from Houma; and Kristina Trosclair, accounting graduate from Thibodaux.

Marino, Tran and Trosclair also received the President’s Medal of Honor for maintaining a perfect grade point average while completing undergraduate degree requirements.

Twenty students graduated magna cum laude with grade point averages between 3.7 and 3.899, and 51 graduated cum laude with grade point averages between 3.5 and 3.699.