Graduates turn the tassel on their caps as they complete their commencement celebration.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.
Graduation is the “Super Bowl” of education, Western Nevada College President Kyle Dalpe said Monday.
Approximately 595 graduates received 683 degrees and certificates of achievement as WNC’s 54th graduating class. The total included 168 Jump Start students from 10 high schools, three academies and homeschools during Monday’s ceremony at Mills Park.
Associated Students of Western Nevada President Catalina Wilson praised fellow graduates for their fortitude among changes in their academic career.
“We've experienced college during uncertain times, and with social change, economic challenges, global disruptions, and through it all, we’ve stayed committed to our goals, to learning and to each other,” the student speaker said. “That perseverance will serve us well long after we leave the classroom.”
WNC Foundation Board Member and Carson City School Board Trustee Lupe Ramirez, keynote speaker, implored students to follow their dreams and use their education to improve their community.
“Remember, your perseverance is your power,” she said.
Jessica Garcia/Nevada Appeal
Cristian Valenzuela González, a resident of Minden, graduated with his associate of science degree.
WNC’s Class of 2025 includes graduates from 10 other states, Dalpe said. Students in the Jump Start dual enrollment program enjoy the opportunity to get ahead in college while in high school.
Cristian Valenzuela González, of Minden, graduated with his associate of science degree. Originally, he was born in Madrid, Spain and is a self-taught piano player. He plans to combine his musical talent as a double major in music composition and psychiatry after leaving WNC to attend Stetson University in DeLand, Fla.
“I like classical (music),” Valenzuela González said. “I know jazz, I like ragtime, whatever you want to put in front of me.”
Although Jump Start students typically give up some of their break time attending high school and college courses, he found the curriculum enjoyable and specific to his path. The college experience itself was rewarding because it challenged him, he noted.
“You have to commit a little more, which is, I think, still good,” he said. “…The people I was going to Jump Start with, they would always talk about skipping class, but I think you have to go to class, even with the scheduling, and lay out the work.”
Wilson completed her associate degree in general studies and plans to pursue her bachelor’s in accounting. She told the Appeal she found the ceremony “bittersweet.” She hoped her fellow graduates would take advantage of their future opportunities.
Western Nevada College celebrated approximately 595 graduates within its 54th graduating class at Mills Park Monday.
“I fell in love with this institution,” she said of WNC. “I fell in love with the people in it … with the faculty and all of the students here. It’s such a reward to be able to graduate and say I’ve completed it … but it’s also something where it’s like, oh, my gosh, it’s so hard to leave.”
WNC professors are proud of their students for crossing the finish line or of those who decide they still want to journey on to a bachelor’s or master’s degree elsewhere.
Eric York, a math teacher, said teaching math at the community college level is interesting as a support discipline. In any discipline, students need analytical skills even if they pursue liberal arts or other fields, he said.
“You have a lot of students who are going into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) type majors,” he said. “And then for most of your other classes, they’re essentially satisfying a general education requirement.”
Matthew Anderson, who teaches industrial technology, said many of his students often pursue careers for local manufacturing companies such as Tesla or Redwood Materials.
Jessica Garcia/Nevada Appeal
Associated Students of Western Nevada President Catalina Wilson provided the welcome message to students.
“The most exciting part for them is this is the start of their life, right?” he said. “This is the start when they walk past that stage, they accomplish something that a lot of people can't accomplish and then carry that forward and they continue life. … What’s so amazing is the employability of my students is almost 100%. I have people beating down my door trying to get qualified students to employers.”
Lyon County School Superintendent Tim Logan, attending the graduation to celebrate his Jump Start students, was proud to see his district represented among the 168 counted.
“We’re super proud of our kids, and we’re thankful that they have taken the hard path in some sense to be able to get their AA degree before they even get their high school diploma,” Logan said. “And obviously, I think that’s amazing that they get to do that.”
Jessica Garcia/Nevada Appeal
Benny Buchanan, Associated Students of Western Nevada’s treasurer, graduated Monday with an associate of arts degree.