When 269 students graduate from Rollins College's Hamilton Holt School on Saturday, a celebrity will be in attendance.
Elin Nordegren, ex-wife of golfer Tiger Woods, will receive her bachelor's degree in psychology.
Nordegren, who generally shuns the public eye, will also give a speech at the commencement, as she's been honored as "Outstanding Senior" of her class.
A group of Holt faculty chose Nordegren, who earned a 3.96 GPA, for the honor that's similar to a valedictorian in high school. According to the college, the choice is based on GPA, "service to the institution and/or the community, and the student's ability to best represent his/her graduating class at Commencement."
In her application for the honor, Nordegren wrote about her advocacy for foster children, including mentoring a child and fundraising efforts.
Woods' and Nordegren's divorce was finalized in 2010, months after news of his cheating made worldwide headlines. She has been attending night classes at Rollins part time since 2005.
Nordegren, 34, spoke with the Sentinel via email about her Rollins experience and her future plans.
Q: What's your reaction to being named the Outstanding Senior?
A: I am very honored because this achievement reflects how inspired I was by the curriculum and the instructors.
Q: What were your favorite classes?
A: Two that stood out at were, "Psychology and the Law" and "Mental Health and Nutrition." Psychology and the Law had such a great set up; both a criminal defense lawyer and a judge taught that class. The class "Mental Health and Nutrition" was a life-changing class for me in regards to nutrition. Dr. Richards encouraged us all to try juicing, and juicing has been a part of my life since then. Nutrition is such a crucial part of how we feel mentally and physically.
Q: What do you plan to do with your degree?
A: I want to continue to study and learn, but I am not exactly sure how yet. My passion has always been psychology, but my interests continue to broaden.
Q: Did you take part in campus life outside of classes?
A: Honestly, not at all… I was always a little too old for the frat parties .
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