DATE: Friday, May 9, 1997                   TAG: 9705080052

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E15  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT  

                                            LENGTH:   61 lines

``I NEVER DISREGARD ANYTHING ANYONE SAYS''

HE'S KNOWN as the big teddy bear on campus with dimples to die for.

He's a fixture around the Boardwalk Cafe, the guy who can often be seen exchanging stories and jokes with crowds of all types.

But a reputation is not all 22-year-old Stan Glenn has earned at Virginia Wesleyan College.

Saturday, Glenn will accept a bachelor's degree in philosophy and political science - one of about 20 students who will graduate with a double major. And, say college officials, Glenn will be one of the first hearing-impaired students to receive a degree from VWC in the school's 31-year history.

``My progress is all due to my mother,'' said the 6-foot-5 Glenn, a Yeadon, Penn., native who wears his confidence as well as his dress shirts. ``She's always been my standing stone - my support.''

Glenn was born hearing-impaired, but his parents didn't discover the disability until he was a toddler. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being perfect hearing, Glenn said he's between a 2 and 3.

As a child, Glenn - who wears hearing aids to amplify sounds and lip reads - did not learn sign language. He mastered his speech ability in the nurturing classrooms of private schools.

It was the nurturing environment Glenn sensed at VWC that persuaded him to forfeit a deposit at Maryland's Towson State University to attend VWC.

``I liked the small-campus atmosphere,'' Glenn said of VWC.

Initially, Glenn thought of becoming a doctor. He attempted a biology major but bombed. He decided to pursue political science because of his concern for American society.

``Our country is in great chaos,'' Glenn said. ``It has lost its internal values, the inherent principles upon which it was built. I've been bothered by that.''

As a junior, Glenn added the philosophy major ``for the fun of it.'' Both disciplines are rigorous, each demanding extensive reading and discussion. However, Glenn stepped up to the challenge.

``He's very determined and has a great deal of integrity,'' said political science Professor William A. Gibson. ``He is focused, committed and very respected on this campus.''

Off campus, Glenn has stayed busy by participating in campus organizations such as the history honor society Phi Alpha Theta and the Student Government Association and by volunteering with groups like Habitat for Humanity.

Last summer, he got a jump start on his next career move. He interned in the criminal division of Philadelphia Municipal Court, where he worked on a multimillion dollar lawsuit.

``It was a good experience,'' he said. ``(The court administrator) gave me the opportunity to work.''

In the fall, Glenn will head to law school at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. There he will lay the rest of the foundation for a career in health care, first as lobbyist, then as an administrator.

``The important thing about me is I never disregard anything anyone says,'' Glenn said. ``I learn from 3-year-olds, and I learn from people with doctorates.

``The day you know it all is the day you lost it all.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

CHARLIE MEADS / The Virginian-Pilot

Stan Glenn will receive a bachelor's degree from Virginian Wesleyan

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