Suvi Savolainen Named VSU College of Business Administration Top Graduate

VALDOSTA — Suvi Alice Savolainen of Espoo, Finland, is the recipient of the Fall 2018 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration at Valdosta State University.

The President’s Award for Academic Excellence is presented to the graduating student with the highest grade point average in each of VSU’s six colleges — Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, College of the Arts, James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and College of Science and Mathematics.

VSU will celebrate its 226^th commencement on Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8.

Savolainen will serve as the official banner carrier for the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration during the undergraduate commencement ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, on the VSU Front Lawn. She will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics.

“I am honored that I had the opportunity to study at Valdosta State University and learn from my professors and fellow classmates,” she said. “When I started my college career, I never thought I would be receiving any kind of honors. I truly appreciate this honor; it proves to me that hard work pays off. I am excited about the opportunity to represent the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration and lead my fellow graduates to the commencement area.” 

As a student at VSU, Savolainen played midfield for the Women’s Soccer Team. She served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma: The International Business Honor Society and the Society for International Students.  

Savolainen’s commitment to academic and athletic excellence resulted in her earning 2018 Google Cloud Division II Women’s Soccer Academic All-Region honors, 2017 Gulf South Conference All-Academic honors, and the 2017-2018 Student-Athlete Academic Award. She was also a member of the Dean’s List during her time at VSU.

Savolainen plans to return to Finland after graduation. She wants to earn a master’s degree and then start building her career. Her dream is to “have a job that I enjoy doing while achieving something that leaves a mark on those around me.” She is the daughter of Jaana Leivo and Timo Savolainen.