Ryan Throckmorton, of Winchester, Va., graduated first in his class during the Virginia Tech College of Engineering’s commencement ceremonies recently. Throckmorton, who earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace and ocean engineering, held the highest grade-point average among the more than 900 graduating engineering seniors in the class of 2005.

He also has received a prestigious Tau Beta Pi Fellowship for graduate school at Virginia Tech. The engineering honor society fellowship will provide $10,000 for Throckmorton as he studies high-speed propulsion in the university’s aerospace program.

The fellowship was awarded for academic merit, community service and active membership in Tau Beta Pi. Throckmorton served as an officer in the honor society.

He also has been active in the Blacksburg community. Along with fellow aerospace students, he has conducted educational outreach programs at a local elementary school and Blacksburg High School. Throckmorton helped devise experiments that taught basic engineering concepts to the public school students.

In addition, Throckmorton has volunteered with Hearts and Hammers, a Blacksburg church service organization that performs home repairs and light construction for people in the community who need assistance.

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