Commencement Profile: Andrew J. Butt

Baccalaureate Student Address

President’s Medal For Outstanding Undergraduate Student

Andrew Butt has earned a bachelor of arts in English, attaining a 3.88 GPA while minoring in philosophy.

He will address the audiences at the morning and afternoon ceremonies at Buffalo State’s 146th Commencement, Saturday, May 19, in the Sports Arena as the recipient of the President’s Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate Student.

A McNair Scholar, Butt is a leader on campus and in the community. He is conscious of how and where he invests his time and energy, choosing roles that allow him to help his peers succeed academically and personally. He is an outstanding example of transferring academic excellence to meaningful involvement in the college community and the community at large.

On campus, Butt serves as an academic mentor and teaching assistant in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Academic Center for Excellence, providing academic skills development, guidance, challenge, and inspiration to students from underrepresented populations. He typically exceeds his designated tutoring hours, engaging students in discussions about writing and navigating college life, and offering midterm and final exam review sessions.

A Dean’s List student, he advanced his own academic goals by taking graduate-level English classes as an undergraduate as well as by authoring several research projects, including two senior theses. He is bright and thoughtful and remarkably observant, empathetic, and reflective in the classroom. His academic work is of the highest quality, both in his understanding a topic and in his ability to express ideas. His academic accolades include the Arts and Humanities Dean’s Award for Excellence in English as well as numerous awards from the Arthur O. Eve EOP. As captain of the college’s mock trial team, he organized students and encouraged wide participation in the American Mock Trial Association’s 2018 Great Lakes Regional Tournament.

Away from campus, Butt has worked full time while also selflessly volunteering with the Salvation Army, Assumption Parish, the Nicaragua Mission Project, and Our Lady of Black Rock Library’s Scholastic Book Fair. He gives of his time out of compassion rather than to draw attention and recognition for his volunteer work. This is the true mark of a humble citizen who leads by example.