Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Gogebic Community College holds 83rd commencement

IRONWOOD - Gogebic Community College president Jim Lorenson, in his welcoming remarks before introducing John Lupino, chairperson, for the 83rd commencement in GCC history, said to the assembled students filling the lindquist Center, "Tonight is dedicated to you."

The production required to get the right people on stage, the faculty in two lines for the graduates to navigate while shuffling students through this same tunnel consisting of faculty, put the emphasis on the graduates and kept the procession moving forward.

One cannot say kids graduating when discussing college graduation, as many non-traditional students return to colleges across the county every year for additional job training, career advancement, or just plain old learning for the sake of learning.

The National Center for Education Statistics shows large increases in students labeled nontraditional attending colleges across the country Nontraditional students tend to not be full time or between the ages of 18-24. The student has frequently already held a job for an extended period of time, potentially already raised a family or at least is well on the way to raising a family. Or is an adult just looking for a different career path and using an education to achieve it.

Seeing the wide variety of graduates Friday night before and during commencement, brought back the effort the school's board and Ryon List, Dean of Instruction, are putting forth to make GCC available and worthwhile to people seeking an education that transfers to a follow on college or into an immediate career.

Marcia Long, the guest speaker, pointed out the rarified air the graduates would be breathing at the conclusion of the evening, when she pointed out less than 7 percent of the world has a college degree. Not only that, Long took it closer to home and said only 34 percent of americans hold college degrees, so the graduates have something to truly hang their hats on.

 
 
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