94th Commencement Ceremony planned for April 29
Modesto Junior College will hold its 94th Commencement Ceremony on Friday, April 29 at 6 p.m. in the Stadium on East Campus. A reception for MJC graduates and their guests will be held immediately following the graduation ceremony in the Student Center Rotunda. Both the ceremony and reception are free and open to the public.
MJC will have awarded an approximate total of 1,550 associate’s degrees to 1,300 individuals during the 2015-2016 academic year, pending recipients’ successful completion of the spring semester. Additionally, 400 certificates of achievement will be awarded to 300 students for this academic year. Approximately 600 of these graduates plan to participate in MJC’s annual Commencement Ceremony.
Addressing the Class of 2016 will be graduating student Alexandra Golikov presenting “From Apples to Almonds: Taking Root at MJC.” Golikov is graduating with Associate in Arts Degrees for Transfer in English and philosophy. During her time at MJC, she participated in the MJC Honors Program, played cello in the String Orchestra, and worked as an English tutor and a supplemental instructor for English as a second language.
Professor Cherrie Llewellyn will sing the national anthem, and music by the MJC Combined Symphonic and Concert Bands, under the direction of Professor Erik Maki, will highlight the ceremony.
The graduation program will feature the presentation of the 2016 MJC Distinguished Alumni Award to John Scheuber, MJC professor emeritus of agriculture (1968-1993), with a 43-year career managing agriculture businesses. Until last year, John served as president and CEO of Veterinary Service, Inc. (VSI) and is now semi-retired, serving as president of the board of VSI.
Additional dignitaries on the platform will include Jill Stearns, MJC president; Brenda Thames, vice president of instruction; James Todd, vice president of student services ; Albert Alt, vice president of college administrative services; George Boodrookas, dean of advancement and executive director of the MJC Foundation; Curtis Martin, president of MJC Academic Senate; Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) trustees Linda Flores, Tom Hallinan, Mike Riley and Abe Rojas; Marc Beam, YCCD associate vice chancellor of institutional research, and Gina Leguria, YCCD vice chancellor of human resources.
MJC graduates and their family and friends are invited to attend the annual Graduation Luncheon on Friday, April 29 at 12 noon in the Mary Stuart Rogers Student Learning Center on West Campus. The luncheon will feature an address entitled “We Are Blue” by graduating student Andre Roundtree, and presentation of the Honors Scholar Awards. Luncheon tickets must be purchased in advance and are available for $12 in the Pirates’ Bookstore on East Campus.