BY RICH REZLER
Communications Manager
Washtenaw Community College’s 50th graduating class filled the floor of the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center on Saturday, May 20. Smiling graduates in caps and gowns waved to enthusiastic family and friends, who filled the lower bowl of the arena.
It was a scene much different from the first class of 12 students that completed a one-year program in Inhalation Therapy in 1967. Fifty years later, a total of 1,470 graduates and graduate candidates were eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony, representing 1,294 associate degrees and 668 certificates of 15 credits or more.
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In neither instance did graduation symbolize an ending. As WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca pointed out in her address, it marks an exciting beginning.
“You’ve climbed the hill and now you will begin to see what’s on the other side,” Bellanca said. “Look not just toward the horizon, rather past it. We’ve taught you to be ‘intellectual entrepreneurs.’ We have put you on a path of lifelong learning. With today’s technology you can learn any day, any time and in a multitude of ways.”
Other commencement ceremony speakers and an excerpt from their address:
Adam Zemke, State Representative
After receiving an honorary Associate Degree in Community Service for his commitment to education and being WCC’s strongest advocate in Lansing, Zemke explained how he received an engineering degree 10 years earlier and never envisioned himself as a politician addressing a graduating class.
“The last 10 years have taught me that you have no idea what life will give you, but my experiences have taught me that it serves anyone well to keep an open mind, don’t pigeon-hole yourself, and work your butt off to achieve your dreams,” he said.
Zemke said he loves to brag about WCC to his legislative colleagues. “We provide educational access to students who may not have had it otherwise, we offer what almost seems like countless types of student learning experiences and we provide an amazing contribution to our local economy,” he said.
Hava Levitt-Phillips, Faculty speaker
Levitt-Phillips says she entered a “second adulthood” when she started taking classes at WCC with a goal of becoming an educator. That goal came full-circle when she joined WCC as a full-time English/Writing instructor in 2010. After offering graduates advice as they take their next steps in life, she reminded them that they’re always welcome to come back.
“As long as WCC is here, we are here for you. For one thing, this is our mission and our job. More importantly, it really is our genuine delight,” she said. “You cannot know how amazing you all are for us. You share with us your bravery, your commitment, your love of family and friends. You share with us your willingness to take risks and make mistakes and grow, and you let us hang out with you while you do it. You let us be of help. That is a gift beyond measure.”
Chris Kikkert, Student speaker
Formerly a commercial and private pilot, Kikkert relocated to the area when her unborn son, Connor, was diagnosed with a condition that carried a 95-percent mortality rate. A cardiologist at the University of Michigan Health Systems saved his life, and Kikkert started down a path to change her own. She graduated from WCC with high honors -— while Connor thrived at the WCC Children’s Center -— and will pursue an interior design degree at Eastern Michigan University.
“Thanks to the many caring and gifted instructors who have guided me here, as well as to the academic excellence I have earned, I have been able to achieve a well-grounded confidence going forward,” Kikkert said. “All of you graduating today can go forward in the same confidence. You have earned a solid foundation for success. You should be proud.”
Jamie Buhr, WCC Foundation chair
Buhr shared the story of Lauren Willis, a high school dropout assigned to work at his company by a temp agency. Impressed by her work ethic, he guided Willis to WCC, where she was the recipient of a WCC Foundation scholarship.
After earning her GED and an associate degree at WCC, Willis continued her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan and then pursued a master’s degree at Rutgers University. Today, she operates a successful video promotions business with her husband in Boston.
“I helped Lauren celebrate her accomplishments, and today I am here to help celebrate your achievements,” Buhr said. “And we are celebrating WCC, its powerful role as a launching pad, and the tremendous agent of change that WCC represents for all of us who have been touched by its programs and faculty.”