On June 16, Peninsula College celebrated its 56th Commencement, awarding 497 degrees. An excerpt of the speech that Peninsula College President, Dr. Luke Robins gave at the event follows.
On behalf of the board of trustees, faculty and staff, welcome to the 56th Commencement for Peninsula College. Today, we have come together to celebrate the awarding of over 497 degrees and certificates and to recognize the hard work of our graduates, our faculty and staff, and the support of our graduates’ families and friends.
Today 454 students will earn their degrees and certificates at Peninsula. Over 257 are present for this ceremony, and this does not include our GED graduates, of whom we’re very proud.
Our graduates this year range in age from 18 to 72, and the average age is 28.
There are 35 international students representing 11 different countries graduating from PC today.
We will award a total of 497 degrees and certificates, including 18 Bachelor’s degrees in applied sciences. In addition, 82 Running Start students will earn both a high school diploma AND a degree from PC this year.
53 students earned the President’s Medal this year, which requires earning 45 college-level credits and a 3.85 or better cumulative GPA. Our graduation class also includes PC’s two USA Today All-Academic Team members, Ms. Bonnie Sires and Mr. Leonardus (Marvin) Jordhi.
The intellectual core of our college is our faculty. Their knowledge, expertise, and good counsel have helped you achieve your goals. Their dedication and focus on teaching and learning is the core of our mission. Likewise, the unselfish and student centered work from our staff has supported you as you’ve pursued our goals. Together, our faculty and staff make Peninsula College the special place that it is.
Completing a college degree takes focus, determination, and perseverance, but it also takes the support of friends and family to complete the journey. So graduates, join me in recognizing those friends and family who are here today and have supported you on your road to success.
PC is a special place, though you may not realize that now. At PC, we recognize the centrality of teaching and learning, and we strive to create a learning environment based on principles of mutual respect and dignity. You studied in a place that encourages critical thinking and freedom of expression. You were challenged in the classroom, in labs, in clinicals and in internships–you were challenged in concerts and in the theater and on the soccer field and on the basketball court. And you rose to those challenges through hard work and perseverance. You’ve proven that students from all walks of life can succeed and prosper in a respectful, engaging, and supportive environment. As you look back on your time with us, it’s easy to see graduation as an end of things, but we don’t call it “commencement” by accident—it’s also the beginning of a new chapter in your life.
Congratulations to each of you, I wish you the best of luck.
To view the entire 2018-2019 Commencement Ceremony, click here.
