蜜桃视频

May 18, 2018 鈥撁厶沂悠� awarded 408 degrees and diplomas during commencement exercises May 12 at the Cole Auditorium for one of its largest graduating classes.

Because the number of students earning credentials from 蜜桃视频 keeps growing each year, the College holds a morning and afternoon ceremony, each having its own guest speaker. This year those guest speakers were faculty members who had inspiring words and life lessons to deliver to the Class of 2018 as they embark on this new journey.

Lara Nosser

instructor Lara Nosser was the guest speaker at the morning ceremony. Nosser talked about growing up in a small village in the Middle East during the midst of a civil war. Because the government rationed utilities, she and her family often went days without electricity and drinking water. 

鈥淏ombs would interrupt school days, and gunfire seemed to be the norm. Despite these impoverished circumstances, my father continually insisted that education was the key to success,鈥� Nosser said.

However, when Nosser was sent to live in the United States, the educational system wanted to classify her as remedial because of her accent and last name.

鈥淚 could鈥檝e accepted this placement. I could鈥檝e gone with the flow; after all, everything was so easy, but my father鈥檚 words would not let me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 went to the vice principal鈥檚 office and asked for different classes. I insisted I could do more.鈥�

After solving multiple algebra equations in his office, she was given a chance to be moved into regular classes.

鈥淢y point is had I simply allowed someone else鈥檚 idea of my intelligence to define me, I may not be here today,鈥� Nosser said.

Nosser also talked about not being afraid of failure because it is a part of life.

鈥淔ailures are inevitable. Don鈥檛 be ashamed of them; being defeated is optional. You can either let your failure destroy you, or you can get back up swinging,鈥� Nosser said.

Her closing piece of advice for the graduates was accepting different points of view and not letting emotion outweigh logic.

鈥淭oday you are college graduates; you should no longer have to be coddled and protected from different points of view. Discussing our differences allows us to find common ground, so you shouldn鈥檛 silence others because you are too sensitive to hear what they have to say,鈥� Nosser said. 鈥淭he purpose of college is to help you to evaluate information, to help you make your way through the world, to give you a well rounded picture, enable you to step back, and use logic rather than emotion.鈥�

Brian Terry

Brian Terry, an instructor for the (EUSRT) program and last year鈥檚 Faculty of the Year award winner, delivered the speech at the afternoon ceremony. He encouraged the graduates to be lifelong learners and to continue developing the critical thinking skills that they learned at 蜜桃视频.

鈥淧lease don鈥檛 stop here! If you stop right here and do not learn any more it is the same as if you built the foundation for a house but not finish the home 鈥� and that would be a waste of your potential,鈥� Terry said. 鈥淵ou have received a foundation to a lifelong journey of learning. It will be up to you to carry your knowledge to the next level.鈥�

Terry was an instructor for 蜜桃视频, but he was curious to learn more about the EUSRT program so he began sitting in on these classes about three years ago. Because of his curiosity, he was able to become an instructor for that curriculum and become a program coordinator.

Terry鈥檚 yearning to learn more became evident at a young age.

鈥淚 would take things apart just to see what was on the inside. You can just imagine the look on my mom鈥檚 face when she came home from a hard day at work to find that her 6-year-old child had completely disassembled every phone in the house and was showing her that though they looked the same on the outside, they were put together differently on the inside,鈥� Terry said. 鈥淯nfortunately, I couldn鈥檛 put the phones back together, which got me into hot water with my mom, but I still learned.鈥�

Terry passed along some advice from his father who passed away a year ago.

鈥淢y dad told me that this world will take a lot from you, but it can never take the love that you feel and the education that you have. I carry that saying with me everywhere I go, so I will always look for an opportunity to learn or teach.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e not learning, you鈥檙e not moving forward,鈥� he added.

Pinnacle Moment

Dr. Dale McInnis, 蜜桃视频 president, called the spring commencement ceremony the pinnacle of the College鈥檚 academic year.

鈥淭his is the moment we all cherish. It鈥檚 the day we strive for and look forward to with great anticipation all year long,鈥� McInnis said.

McInnis recognized the many people who support the College and its students, including the 蜜桃视频 Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, as well as the family and friends attending the graduation ceremony.

McInnis, however, reminded everyone that this day belongs to the graduates, and he praised them for their hard work and determination in reaching this moment. He then introduced President Jessika Hall, who shared her story of success with her fellow graduates.

Hall explained that this was her second degree she was earning from 蜜桃视频 as she struggled to figure out what she was going to do in life.

鈥淒r. McInnis is a man with a plan, and he wants you to have a plan,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淗e told me this time around I had to know what I was doing, or he wasn鈥檛 going to hand me my diploma.鈥�

Hall said she knew Dr. McInnis was challenging her because he cared about her future.

鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for Dr. McInnis and for the faculty and staff always having an open door for me, I wouldn鈥檛 be standing here before you today. These people are here for you even after you leave today,鈥� she said.

Hall issued her own challenge to her fellow graduates 鈥渢o go out into the world and be bold, be honest, be loyal and be the best that you can be.鈥�

Academic Award Winners

Several students were recognized for their academic achievements at Saturday鈥檚 graduation.

• Tina White - Dodd-Moore Humanities Award
• James Saiz 鈥� Joseph D. Beam Excellence in Engineering Award
• Kevin Taylor 鈥� Robert D. Street Academic Excellence Award for Superior Achievement in Information Technology
• Mary Elizabeth Turner 鈥� The Richmond County Historical Society Award for Excellence in History
• Dustin Bittle 鈥� The Paul H. Many Award for Superior Performance in Electrical/Electronics Technology
• Sage Atkins - Excellence in Science Award