ELKINS – Davis & Elkins College will begin a new tradition by presenting a locally made memento to students who completed their degree requirements in the 2018 summer or fall semesters.

Approximately 40 students are eligible to participate in the recognition ceremony at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11 in The Joni and Buck Smith Arts Forum in Myles Center for the Arts.

This year’s class will be the first to receive a 9-inch plaque made of cherry hardwood and engraved with the D&E seal. Produced by the Wood Tech Center in Elkins, the plaque can be displayed on a stand or as a wall hanging.

Although the ceremony has been a tradition for many years, it serves as a recognition rather than a graduation ceremony. Since not all fall graduates return to take part in Commencement in May, D&E administrators decided those students should have a keepsake unique to the semester that marks the completion of their college career.

The event is open to public and there is no admission fee.