<h1>Three area students have earned their degrees from Coastal Carolina University.</h1> Caitland Boggs of White Sulphur Springs, Ashley Ferrell of Lewisburg, and Ivy Hancock of Union each earned her bachelor of Science in marine science during commencement exercises on May 5 and 6. Coastal Carolina University held commencement ceremonies for an estimated 1,145 candidates for graduation at the HTC Student Recreation and Convocation Center on campus. In her remarks to Coastal Carolina University’s Class of 2017, commencement speaker Amber J. Campbell encouraged graduates to be true to themselves and their own course in life instead of relying too much on conventional wisdom. “Don’t listen to ‘they,’ because ‘they’ will tell you all kinds of things,” said Campbell, an Olympic athlete and 2004 CCU graduate. “‘They’ don’t always have your best interests at heart. ‘They’ will try to talk you out of your dream. ‘They’ will tell you that what you’re pursuing doesn’t make sense or that the career you chose is too obscure. Meanwhile, you might end up a three-time Olympian and travel the world!” Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach, SC. CCU offers baccalaureate degrees in 73 major fields of study. Among CCU’s 21 graduate-level programs are 18 master’s degrees, two educational specialist degrees, and the Ph.D. in marine science: coastal and marine systems science. The most popular undergraduate majors are marine science, management, exercise and sport science, communication and psychology. More than 10,000 students from across the country and the world interact with a world-class faculty, and enjoy a nationally competitive NCAA I athletic program, an inspiring cultural calendar, and a tradition of community interaction that is fueled by more than 180 student clubs and organizations. Coastal Carolina University was founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College and became an independent state university in 1993.
