For the first time in the history of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, two academic awards were presented to the top outstanding graduates during Thursday's fall commencement ceremony. 

Retha Martin, a business major from Moultrie, received the George P. Donaldson award for associate degree graduates; and Andrea Smith, a biology major from Fitzgerald, was named the recipient of the first ABAC Alumni Association Award for bachelor's degree graduates.

Each recipient was selected through an application and interview process. They received a plaque and a check for $500 from the ABAC Alumni Association. 

 ABAC Alumni Director Lynda Fisher said the Donaldson Award has been part of the commencement ceremony for years, and the Alumni Association decided to add the award for bachelor's degree graduates since more than 1,100 students now major in bachelor's degree programs at the institution.

Jim Hall, chief of law enforcement with the National Wildlife System through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was the featured speaker at the ceremony.  A 1983 ABAC graduate, Hall told graduates that "the world will continue to change in years to come, and you will be a part of that change. Always seek improvement in yourself.

Martin began her ABAC career by taking classes at ABAC on the Square in Moultrie. ABAC faculty members had high words of praise for her in their recommendation letters. "Two words that best describe Ms. Martin are conscientious and tenacious," said Kathy Moreno, who teaches in the Stafford School of Business.

Smith started taking ABAC classes when she was a senior at Fitzgerald High School through the ACCEL program, which allows high school students to enroll in selected college classes. Her goal was to attain her bachelor's degree in biology, which was accomplished Thursday when she walked across the stage at Gressette Gymnasum. "The time I have spent here has shaped me and made me a better person, all while getting a top-notch education to help fulfill my dream of becoming a dentist," Smith, said.

A total of 211 graduates participated in the ceremony. ABAC will close for the holidays on Dec. 23 and reopen Jan. 5, 2015. Classes begin for the spring semester Jan. 8.