Highland Community College held commencement exercises awarding 382 certificates and degrees to students between the Highland Campus, Atchison Technical Center and Western Center commencement ceremonies.
In addition, the 2019 recipient of the Bruning Award for faculty development was announced. Harry Moeller, Instructor of Biology will use the funding to attend the National Association of Biology Teachers national conference in Chicago.
Highland Campus commencement speaker John Lehman, retired administrator at Apostolic Christian Home in Sabetha, Kansas stressed to the graduates their potential to see their goals come to fruition.
“Goal setting can never be overstressed and setting reasonable goals is the key to success,” Lehman told students.
He also warned that too many people in the world focus on the negative and look at life the wrong way. Lehman then challenged the class of 2019 to set out to make a difference in society and to achieve all the success they are capable of.
Lehman went on to remind students, “as you climb the ladder of success, don’t forget the people who held the ladder for you at Highland Community College.”
Speaking at the Highland Community College Atchison Technical on the evening of May 15 was Atchison Mayor Shawn Rizza. HCC’s Western Center Commencement featured speaker Dwight Edelman, the Executive Director of Operations for Schenck Process LLC on the morning of May 17.
The ceremony at Highland also held a surprise for retiring HCC President David Reist. Thomas Smith, Chair of the HCC Board of Trustees, announced that the administration building on the Highland Campus would be renamed, the David Reist Administration Building.
Reist noted that he was honored and humbled by the acknowledgment. “It’s been an honor to have been able to work with and lead this institution. I thank the Board for the gesture.”
Families, friends, faculty, and staff gathered after the ceremony for a reception on the green.
A list of graduates can be found online at www.highlandcc.edu/news.