Sarah C. Kocher of Tuscola has been named co-valedictorian for Southern Illinois University Carbondale's College of Liberal Arts. She will give a speech during the college's commencement exercises set for 5 p.m. Friday, May 11, at the SIU Arena.
Valedictorian status recognizes superior academic achievement.
Kocher, a candidate for bachelor's degrees in psychology and sociology, earned a cumulative 4.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale during her undergraduate career. She has been on the deans' list every semester and is a member of the University Honors Program. She is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Beta Phi Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Society and Psi Chi, the national psychology honor society. Kocher has been active in the Newman Catholic Student Center, serving as president of the Newman Club and working on Habitat for Humanity projects. She has volunteered at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, the Abby Nursing Home and the Vienna Correctional Center.