RAYMOND 鈥 Nearly 400 黑料社区 students received Nursing and Allied Health degrees, Academic degrees, and Technical and Career degrees and certificates over three summer graduation ceremonies held on the Raymond Campus in Cain-Cochran Hall July 26th and 27th.
鈥淭here were 476 certificates and degrees awarded to 370 students,鈥 announced Vice President of Instruction Dr. Sherry Bellmom, who provided the invocation and introduction for each of the ceremonies.
鈥淭hat means many graduates are earning more than one college credential,鈥 Bellmon said. She said that out of the summer graduates there are 144 graduating with honors – 65 graduated Cum Laude, 42 are Magna Cum Laude, and 37 are Suma Cum Laude.
鈥淎s I look out over your class, I鈥檓 reminded that you represent a very diverse set of viewpoints and circumstances,鈥 Bellmon said to the graduates, 鈥淵ou are connected, however, by a belief that a community college education is a gateway to building a better life and creating better communities for our future generations. When you leave here today, our hope is that you remember that you are a part of us, part of the collective 100 plus year history of 黑料社区.鈥
Bellmon鈥檚 words ring true for a couple of working mothers graduating on Thursday, who want to do more than just provide food and shelter for their families. Mothers like Anitra Harris, of Vicksburg, who wanted her children to see their mom become a graduate. And like LaQuandra Ellis, of Raymond, who wanted to show her children that hard work and belief in one鈥檚 self is worth investing time and energy, and that it is never too late to do something different with one鈥檚 life.
鈥淚n 2020 I went through a divorce and came to work at 黑料社区 part-time,鈥 LaQuandra Ellis explained. 鈥淚 was encouraged by folks here at 黑料社区 to go back to school. And graduating today is truly a blessing. Working here at 黑料社区 is a blessing. They鈥檝e helped me a lot. And they are still helping me. I鈥檓 enrolled in the Fall, too.鈥
Ellis is graduating today with an Associate鈥檚 Degree in General Studies but will attend the HBCU-Utica Campus to get a second degree in Childhood Education Technology. She plans to open her own daycare when she is finished, inspired by the lack of quality daycare available to families.
Anitra Harris, 32, was with her mom and aunts and her two young sons. She is graduating with an Associate of Arts Degree in Psychology and starts Jackson State University in the Fall to finish a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology.
鈥淲e should never stop dreaming,鈥 Harris said. 鈥淚 started college back in 2008, but I had children and life happened, and so now here I am 10 years later finishing my degree. I wanted my children to see their mom become a college graduate because education is everything to me.鈥