“As we come to the end of the academic year, it is a time to reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented,” said President Jo Alice Blondin. “After two years of virtual commencement ceremonies, I am thrilled to confer more than 660 degrees and certificates in person. These graduates possess the determination, resilience, and commitment to persist to realize their dreams. It is indeed a celebration of the remarkable spirit that each student embodies.”
The college will award nine bachelor’s degrees, 582 associate degrees and 71 certificates.
Alaska resident Louisa Carol Dennis, who will graduate with an Associate of Applied Business degree, will be traveling to Ohio to attend the ceremony. She said she picked Clark State for a few reasons.
“It was an online school (option), so it allowed me to remain in Alaska and do it. It was accredited and it was easy to get a hold of people and apply,” she said. “Every teacher was helpful and accessible which I was very grateful for ... It was a great experience and I’m thankful Clark State made my dream a reality.”
The graduating class will also include a record of 52 high school students will also graduate with their high school diploma along with their associate degrees through the College Credit Plus program.
“By participating in the CCP program, I got enough (general education credits) out of the way that I can minor in theater,” said Ava Hess, a graduating senior at Global Impact STEM Academy, who will earn an Associates of Science degree. “This way I can focus on two different passions of mine at once. The CCP program challenged me academically as well as gave me a leg up when applying to colleges.”
The student speaker at the morning ceremony will be Emily Lefevers, who is graduating with an associate degree in accounting, and the afternoon ceremony speaker will be Tara Johnson, who is graduating with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Physical Therapist Assistant.
The ceremonies are a ticketed event, but guests can watch virtually at www.clarkstate.edu/academics/graduation/2022-graduation/.
Last year, Clark State held its graduation virtually with a video where over 500 graduates received their degree or certificate.
Wittenberg’s 172nd commencement ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday for 346 graduates.
The in-person ceremony will be held in Commencement Hollow, but a live-stream will be offered at //www.wittenberg.edu/live.
The Hollow will be restricted until 9 a.m., and all guests must be seated by 10:30 a.m.
The commencement speaker will be Tim McCarthy, class of 2002 and former owner of the Raising Cane’s Ohio franchise.
Avery Adams, senior class president, said the class of 2022 has “remained resilient.”
“We are excited about the sense of normalcy we are feeling as we are hopefully coming out of COVID and nearing the end of our last semester. The campus atmosphere has not been the same since our spring semester of sophomore year, and we are excited to finish out our college experiences the way we had hoped we could. The pandemic had a large and lasting impact on all of us, and it wasn’t always easy to be a student during COVID times. However, we have all remained strong to get us to this point,” Adams said.
Last year, Wittenberg held two in-person ceremonies for over 370 graduates.
Other college and universities that will host their graduation ceremonies this weekend include: Central State University and Miami University, who will award 4,254 degrees on Saturday.
Last weekend, the University of Dayton graduated 2,050 students, Cedarville University graduated 924 students, and Sinclair Community College graduated 8,919 students.
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