COLUMBIA – Lincoln County residents Sherry Brown and Benjamin Estes recently graduated from Lindsey Wilson College.

The two area residents were among 218 students who received undergraduate or graduate degrees at the college’s 107th commencement ceremony, held May 12th in Biggers Sports Center.

Brown, of Hustonville, earned a bachelor of arts degree in human services and counseling while Estes, of Stanford, earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing.

Members of the second half of Lindsey Wilson College’s Class of 2018 were encouraged to challenge themselves, dream big and to “not settle for what is realistic” at Saturday morning’s commencement ceremony.

Those were the words LWC alumnus, Honorable Michael Futrell ’07delivered at the college’s 107th commencement ceremony, held Saturday morning in Biggers Sports Center.

“As I stand up here and look across this room I see the different individuals sitting out here and it excites me because you have your whole life in front of you,” said Futrell, who also received an honorary doctorate from the liberal arts college. “This is just the beginning. Don’t get bogged down by what other people tell you can not be done. Don’t limit yourself to what you can become.”

“Challenge yourself and whatever your dreams are right now – I want you to dream bigger. I want you to go beyond because so many times in life I have heard people say ‘Michael we just need you to be realistic,’” Futrell said. “And I laugh because if I only believed in what people told me was realistic, my life would not be a possibility.”

LWC awarded an honorary doctorate to Futrell.

Lindsey Wilson awarded 209 undergraduate degrees and nine graduate degrees at this year’s spring commencement.

Founded in 1903, Lindsey Wilson is a distinctive liberal arts college affiliated with the Kentucky Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.