June 14, 2010

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard honored seven graduates as Presidential Scholars during Commencement on Saturday, June 12.

Presidential Scholar awards honor top students in six colleges and were instituted by President Emeritus Karen W. Morse during Western's Centennial in 2000 to honor graduates for their exceptional scholarship and service to the university and community.

Shepard presented each of the following Presidential Scholars with a medallion:

Anthony Zackery is an "outstanding and well-rounded scholar," according to the faculty who nominated him. Zackery, from Spokane, is a top student in the Finance Department, with a 3.93 grade point average. His awards include three times on the WWU President's List, membership in the Golden Key International Honor Society and several scholarships. A varsity athlete in both track and field and football, Zackery was WWU's 2009 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor track & field Newcomer of the Year. Zackery is known for encouraging younger students to pursue hard sciences and quantitative fields, particularly in his volunteer work as a tutor in the Finance Tutorial Center and advisor to prospective Finance majors. The son of Rayanne Zackery of Kirkland, he is now a research assistant for Public Financial Management in Seattle. After graduation, Zackery plans to volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and soon pursue a doctoral degree in finance or a related field.