A journalism major from Tifton captured the top graduate award at Friday's spring graduation ceremony at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Taylor Hand, News Editor for the award-winning ABAC newspaper, was selected for the prestigious George P. Donaldson award.

The award included a plaque and a check for $500 from the ABAC Ag Alumni Council. The award is based on a combination of academics and extracurricular activities. The recipient must participate in the graduationceremony. Donaldson served as president of ABAC from 1947 - 61.

United States Senator Saxby Chambliss was the guest speaker at the ceremony, which was held before a packed house crowd in Gressette Gymnasium. ABAC President David Bridges praised Chambliss for his words to the graduates and noted that the college aimed for a speaker of his caliber during the 100th birthday celebration of the institution.

Hand, daughter of ABAC alumni Mark and Dawn Hand, adds the Donaldson award to an impressive array of ABAC accolades including her selection as Ms. Baldwin in a campuswide vote. She has also been named to Who's Who at ABAC, Who's Who Among American Junior Colleges, and received an ABAC Pacesetter award.

Hand is a former vice-president of the ABAC Ambassadors, a member of the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, and the secretary for the Student Government Association. She also won the Humanities Division Discipline award in Journalism.

Hand, who plans to transfer to Georgia State University to continue her journalism studies, said ABAC had quite an impact on her life.

"Simply put, I will leave this place with more family/friends than I started with, more knowledge than I arrived with, and more incredible memories than I thought possible," Hand said in her application for the Donaldson award.

A total of 135 graduates received diplomas at the ceremony.