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MCC awards degrees and certificates during 56th annual commencement
鶹ӳý awarded 239 degrees and certificates May 5 during its 56th annual commencement ceremony in the gymnasium on the college’s Sidney 鶹ӳý.
Diana Sieger, president of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and MCC student Amber Ridgway, of Greenville, addressed the graduates and their guests.
Sieger talked about growing up in the late ’60s and ’70s and how Gerald Ford spoke at her college graduation, before he was president. She also compared how different life is today from a time back in 2000 when she gave a commencement speech.
“I am heartened by the leadership your generation is demonstrating,” she said. “Whether you are continuing your education at a four-year university, starting a new career, or embarking on some other adventure, remember you have the power to shape your own future. You have the ability to overcome obstacles, to learn from your mistakes, and to make a positive impact on the world around you.”
She also talked about the spirit of service her generation and today’s students have demonstrated. She said MCC has a commitment to service and everyone who has walked through its doors has experienced it.
“Remember that the most important measure of success is not how much money you make or how famous you become, but rather the impact you have on the lives of others,” Sieger said. “Take what you have learned here and use it to make a positive difference in your community, your country, and your world.”
Ridgeway, who graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in Office Administration with high honors, spoke about how in 2020 she came to a crossroads. She could either give up and end her life, or hang on and try to make a better life for herself. She chose to end her life. She wasn’t successful and spent some time in psychiatric care.
“While psychiatric care was number one, a different career path was second. I had no idea what to do to change that, as college was never on my radar,” she said. “I was never going to be smart enough to attend, and I could never afford it. The possibility for college only came to mind when I learned that Michigan was going to start a scholarship for those who worked on the ‘front lines’ during the COVID-19 lockdown. Surprisingly, to not only myself but everyone in my life, I applied for the scholarship without any hesitation or second thought of what it might mean. I highly doubted I would qualify anyway.”
She received the Futures for Frontliners scholarship and was accepted to MCC. At age 32, she said she was terrified and worried about being the oldest person in her classes. She realized, though, that all she could do was her best and dive right in.
“It’s been a long, rough road here,” Ridgeway said. “For some of you, your road is just beginning. For others like me, we’ve been driving for a while now, with Michigan-sized potholes we didn’t think we could make across. I know because there’s been too many times that I’ve nearly not made it myself. Wherever you are on your road, keep going. You’ll never be ready. You’ll never be ready for all the things that life will throw at you. Through deaths, heartbreak, new family members, weddings, and everything in-between. Look for hope. Not just on the mountaintops, but in the valleys as well. I promise, it’s there too.”
In addition, Biology Instructor Michelle Gibson, of Greenville, received the Leslie K. Morford Faculty Recognition Award; Health Careers Lab Supervisor and Adjunct Instructor Nancy Seals, of Carson City, received the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award; and Christa Baldwin, of Stanton, was honored with the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
Candidates for degrees and certificates included:
Associate of Applied Science – Accounting
Crystal
Marcy Baker, honors.
Greenville
Claire Scott, high honors.
Ionia
Kasondra Triggs, high honors.
Rodney
Morgan Weedmark.
Associate of Applied Science – Agricultural Operations
Saranac
Emily Mutschler.
Associate of Applied Science – Business Management
Crystal
Marcy Baker, honors.
Fenwick
James McGraw; Claudia Medrano.
Greenville
Sawyer Bowers; Autumn Eldridge, high honors; Jordan Wilson, honors.
Stanton
Madison Holland, honors; Christopher Moss.
Associate of Applied Science – Business Marketing
Greenville
Sawyer Bowers.
Stanwood
Madison Morgan-Crater, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Computer Network Administration
Big Rapids
Michael Church, honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Computer Networks & Systems
Crystal
Andrew Tissue.
Associate of Applied Science – Criminal Justice
Greenville
Haley Nauta, honors.
Howard City
Courtney Fliearman, honors.
Six Lakes
Brittany Cooper.
Sumner
Frank Funsch.
Associate of Applied Science – Digital Arts
Edmore
Laura Boerma, honors.
Gowen
Michael Beard.
Grand Rapids
Tanner Boonstra.
Greenville
Valerie Coon; Ailey Neal, honors; Paul Nowak III, honors.
Kent City
Reta Burdette, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Early Childhood Education
Belding
Kelsey Bartholomew, honors.
Coral
Waverly Burns, high honors.
Fenwick
Mariah Sorensen.
Greenville
Mici Bos, honors; Kathrine Wilson, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Education Support
Cedar Springs
Eleanor Colvin.
Associate of Applied Science – Engineering Technology
Ionia
Joshua Trierweiler, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Industrial Automation Maintenance
Howard City
Robert Gerwig, honors; Zachary Johnson, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Medical Office Administration
Carson City
Elizabeth Miller.
Ionia
Shannon Kelly, honors.
Sheridan
Vivian Ridgeway, honors.
Stanton
Samantha Swan.
Associate of Applied Science – Nursing Professional Track
Belding
Mackenzie Geister, honors.
Carson City
Leah Springsteen.
Cedar Springs
Mabel Brooks.
Fenwick
Courtnee Nicholson.
Greenville
Faith Campbell, honors.
Hastings
Annamarie Beck.
Howard City
Kiana Hackbardt.
Ithaca
Mary Everts.
Lyons
Melissa VanDerske.
Saranac
Emily Mulnix, honors.
Stanton
Alyssa Gillson, honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Office Administration
Greenville
Amber Ridgeway, high honors.
Pierson
Grace Ebenhoh.
Sand Lake
Heather Secor, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Registered Nursing (ADN)
Belding
Mackenzie Geister, honors.
Carson City
Leah Springsteen.
Cedar Springs
Mabel Brooks; Trevor Johnston.
Crystal
Miguelita Avery.
Fenwick
Heather Moore; Courtnee Nicholson.
Grand Rapids
Christianna Hultink; Alexandra Michael.
Greenville
Faith Campbell, honors; Anna Dutmers; Noah Gager, honors; Robin Kleck; Hailey MacMillen, honors; Alexandra Swanger, honors; Hayley Zoerman.
Hastings
Annamarie Beck.
Howard City
Kiana Hackbardt; Emily Simmons, honors.
Ithaca
Mary Everts.
Lakeview
Kirsten MacDonald.
Lowell
Andrew Meacham.
Lyons
Melissa VanDerske.
Newaygo
Dana Crawford, honors.
Pierson
McKenzie Crandall, honors.
Portland
Rebecca Snarski.
Rockford
Amanda Wilson, honors.
Saginaw
Steven Hermann.
Sand Lake
Samantha Oakes.
Saranac
Emily Mulnix, honors; Jessica Ricket, honors.
Six Lakes
Zoe Helmer.
Stanton
Chelsey Birman, honors; Haley Edwards; Alyssa Gillson, honors; Johnathon McCracken.
Associate of Applied Science – Skilled Trades
Belding
Travis Colter, high honors.
Edmore
Timothy VanBlaricum III, honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Web Developer & Programming
Trufant
Parker Wheaton, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science – Welding
Edmore
Kyle Deal.
Sand Lake
Zachary Patin, honors.
Trufant
Kevin Brecker.
Associate of Arts – MiTransfer Pathway Art
Gowen
Trynity Green.
Associate of Arts – MiTransfer Pathway Psychology
Fenwick
Royce Spencer.
Greenville
Jack Cooper, high honors; Charlie VanderMel, honors.
Ionia
Brian Chartrand, high honors.
Associate of Arts – MiTransfer Pathway Social Work
Fenwick
Ana Jennings, high honors; Brooklyn Plaisier, honors.
Associate of Arts – MiTransfer Pathway Criminal Justice
Sidney
Grace Choponis.
Associate of Science & Arts
Alma
Sarah Headley.
Belding
Teague Griffioen; Justin Taylor.
Big Rapids
Brittany Brown; Celestine Hiltunen, honors; Megan Raison.
Blanchard
Kayla Fisher; Gabrielle Gilman, honors.
Cedar Springs
Ana Bauer; Rachael Kren, high honors.
Edmore
Wyatt Cook, high honors; MaLinda Johnston; Gabriella Krzymicki, high honors; John Mazurkiewicz IV; Celena Rosset, honors.
Fenwick
Chloe Haring.
Gowen
Sandy Dang; Trynity Green; Adison Nichols, honors; Jakob Phillips, high honors.
Grand Rapids
Ethan Christensen.
Greenville
Annika Barnes; Garrett Bell; Mici Bos, honors; Onyx Bromley, honors; Jessica Butler; Taryn Creasap, honors; Tyler Cripps; Rhiannon Cummings, high honors; Josephine Lake, honors; Dylan Linton; Benjamin Peacock, high honors; Alexandra Seng.
Howard City
Joseph Huizing; Kendra Matzen, honors; Daniel Shadley.
Hubbardston
Hannah Dalton; Karyssa Suchek, honors.
Ionia
Madalyn Bush, high honors; Amanda Fleming; Austin Murray.
Lakeview
Kimberly Carstens, high honors; Gavin Holmes, honors; Kasey Shilling.
Lowell
Hannah Diamond, high honors; Oliver Grilley.
Maple Rapids
Walker Eyer, honors.
Muir
Damon Jackson.
Pierson
Marjorie Starr, honors.
Reed City
Jasmine Plum.
Rockford
Jacob Fitzmaurice.
Saint Johns
Gabriella Andersen, honors.
Sand Lake
Brian Corbett.
Sheridan
Sophia Allenbaugh, high honors; Jasmine Delafuente; Harold Joslyn; Kristin Lacy, honors; Cailin Lambart, honors; Colten Lambart, high honors; Shelbie Ramirez, honors; Ivy Ridgeway, honors; Trenton Shaffer, high honors; Amber Wubbeling, high honors.
Sidney
Grace Choponis.
Six Lakes
Kathryn Porter, honors.
Stanton
Megan Brokaw, high honors; Amanda Johnson, honors; Austin Laper; Emily Throop, high honors; Alyssa Walwark, honors; Nathan Winters-Horton; Rainier Woodman, honors.
Stanwood
Destiney Covey
Vestaburg
Alexys Cannady, honors; Whitney Hoover, high honors; Dylan Jones-Wrisley, high honors; Brady Kilchermann, honors; Michaelann Turner, honors; Lily Walker.
Wyoming
Caroline Garcia.
Certificate – Apprenticeship Training
Cedar Springs
Christopher Carr, high honors; Bill Hammer III.
Grand Rapids
William Patterson.
Lakeview
Theodore Grant, honors.
Morley
Brian Olsen, high honors.
Pierson
David Hoekstra.
Sheridan
Tonya Lucier.
Sidney
Mitchell Mills, honors.
Stanton
Jared Fountain, high honors.
Certificate – Business Management
Stanton
Christopher Moss.
Certificate – Criminal Justice/Corrections
Sumner
Frank Funsch.
Certificate – Liberal Studies
Belding
Justin Taylor.
Blanchard
Grayson Austin, high honors; Gabrielle Gilman, honors.
Coral
Sydnie Nielsen, honors.
Edmore
Gabriella Krzymicki, high honors.
Gowen
Mackenna Gunderson, honors; Jakob Phillips, high honors.
Grand Rapids
Tanner Boonstra; Ethan Christensen.
Greenville
Garrett Bell; Taryn Creasap, honors; Rhiannon Cummings, high honors; Lindsay Muniz; Benjamin Peacock, high honors.
Howard City
Caleb Nave, honors; Madison VanCleave.
Ionia
Madalyn Bush, high honors; Amanda Fleming; Austin Murray; Joshua Trierweiler, high honors.
Lakeview
Kimberly Carstens, high honors.
Lowell
Hannah Diamond, high honors.
Reed City
Jasmine Plum.
Saint Johns
Gabriella Andersen, honors.
Sand Lake
Brian Corbett.
Saranac
Abby Bushre, honors; Emily Mutschler.
Sheridan
Colten Lambart, high honors; Vivian Ridgeway, honors; Trenton Shaffer, high honors.
Sidney
Grace Choponis.
Stanton
Austin Laper.
Stanwood
Destiney Covey.
Vestaburg
Alexys Cannady, honors; Whitney Hoover, high honors; Dylan Jones-Wrisley, high honors; Brady Kilchermann, honors; Michaelann Turner, honors.
Certificate – Medical Assistant
Howard City
Jan Harmon.
Certificate – Skilled Trades – Machinist
Fenwick
James Brumbley, honors.
Certificate – Welding Technology
Lowell
Adam Yuhas, honors.
Pewamo
Clyde Hawbaker, honors.
Media contact:
Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833