The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
LCCC GRADS SHINE
54th annual commencement sends forth largest graduating class in school history
Lorain County Community College celebrated the accomplishments of more than 2,000 new graduates May 12 at a 54th annual commencement ceremony.
The year 2018 was a landmark year for LCCC in more ways than one. With the largest graduating class on record, the College recognized a total of 2,018 graduates, including 277 students awarded degrees through a university partnership program.
“Sailing away from the shore in pursuit of discovery, what a perfect way to think of our LCCC Commodores graduating; charting new territory in your lives and finding new possibilities,” said LCCC President Marcia Ballinger. “At LCCC we’ve
“Sailing away from the shore in pursuit of discovery...”
— LCCC President Marcia Ballinger
always known that our students are the most fearless, dedicated and ambitious students in the nation. You’ve proven that by completing your degrees. Well, we now have validation that our students are indeed the best in the country.”
Ballinger noted this year’s commencement ceremony comes only a week after LCCC was recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges as the number one community college in the nation for excellence in student success.
The ceremony welcomed close to 650 graduates who crossed the stage to receive their degrees.
Graduates included 65 students from the Lorain County Early College High School, who earned their high school diplomas and associates degrees. In addition, 26 LCCC grads representing 14 school districts received degrees through the College Credit Plus Program.
Rebecca Ellis, 17, earned associate of arts and associate of science degrees from the program while studying at Keystone High School, through the unique dual enrollment program.
“LCCC gave me such a wide variety of classes that I was able to test out what course I was most interested in,” Ellis said.
Ellis plans to study chemical engineering at Cleveland State University as part of the Honors College.
LCCC recognized Randy and Nick Churchill as “Great Grads.” The father and son graduated with honors. Nick, 23, earned a bachelor’s of computer science and engineering from the University of Toledo through the University Partnership and Randy, 55, completed an associate of applied science in construction technology – construction management.
Michael J. Brown served as keynote speaker. Brown is the president of Barrick Gold of North America, and an alumnus of LCCC where he returned after 40 years to address the graduating class and receive his associate’s degree. Brown transferred to Ohio State in 1978 and said he always regretted not completing his associate’s degree.
He spoke to graduates and their families about growing up in Grafton in the 1960s and the experience of being a first generation college student while working two jobs to pay his tuition, and the lessons he learned along the way in his career that began as he first enrolled at LCCC in 1976.
“As I completed my senior year at Midview, I learned there was no college fund. As a consequence my ‘college tour’ was short, alone in my Dodge Dart, I left the limits of Grafton, drove north on Route 57, turned right on Abbe Road and enrolled here,” Brown said. “I am forever grateful for the counselor that day who helped me navigate that foreign process.”
It was LCCC where Brown said he was first exposed to government through serving in the Student Senate and the professors who would shape his future as a business leader and in his career in Washington D.C. where he worked at the highest levels of government.
It was his time at LCCC where his role in student government and having the opportunity to interact with people different than him, he said, helped establish a firm commitment to social justice and set him on his unique journey.
In his message, he encouraged graduates to seek out the opportunity, to explore the vast world, and to take advantage of new experiences.
“If you have the means, I encourage you to travel abroad,” Brown said. “My dream of travel has flown me six million miles and to 50 nations. Even a brief exposure to foreign affairs will give you a new appreciation for the life you have here, and to perhaps see new opportunities in our accelerated global economy.”