It's Time To Congratulate Graduates
Katharine Eneguess, President of White Mountains Community CollegeWe're gearing up for graduation at White Mountains Community College. This year will be our largest class with approximately 180 students all of whom will be awarded degrees or certificates during commencement exercises on May 14. We can't wait to congratulate them on their success.
We are keenly aware of the obstacles many of our students have faced during their time here. It's no secret that the North Country economy, and the national economy, continues to struggle, as we collectively find our way out from under the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. No doubt many of our students, particularly those who work and go to school at the same time, have faced the same decision at the end of each semester: Is it worth it for me to continue to devout time to my education, or should I concentrate on bringing a paycheck home?
The regular readers of this column know where we stand on this issue. Education is always worth it. The more you know, the more skills you have, the more control you have over your future.
In the early evening of May 14, under the big white tent on our Berlin campus, graduates will stand up, row by row, and walk up to the podium to receive their degrees. The White Mountains Community College Class of 2010 have not just been our students, they've been the sons and daughters, the mothers and fathers, the aunts and uncles, the husbands and wives, of those sitting in the audience. While we will congratulate and honor these individuals, we will also be looking out at the younger faces in the audience. The Class of 2010 will set a fine example for their younger relatives who have come to the ceremony. The babes in arms, the toddlers, the six and seven year-olds running through the green grass outside the tent--they might not understand the wider meaning of the ceremony, the words of praise, but they understand that their older brother or sister, their aunt or uncle, is dressed in the long robes because they have accomplished something. They might understand that the applause at the end are for all the times that Daddy or Mommy grabbed a jacket, put on boots and left the house when the snow was gently falling. They may understand that their older siblings are not being honored for watching a favorite TV show or playing a computer game, but instead for cracking open a book and reading, opening their minds to new ideas and stretching their horizons.
We know that the adults in the audience do understand this, and there is nothing more satisfying for those of us up on the stage than to see the pride glowing on the faces of those who have come to watch their loved one receive a diploma. The only thing that can possibly top that is the feeling we get seeing the broad smiles on those who are receiving their diplomas.
We are so very, very proud of the WMCC Class of 2010, and we wish them well as they begin a new journey.
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