LCCC celebrates its 60th commencement with over 2,000 graduates

Saturday marked a major milestone for students and college alike, as more than 2,000 students received their diplomas during the 60th commencement at Lorain County Community College. The theme of the event was "Our Legacy, Our Future," signifying the college's celebration of both this year's graduates and all those who came before them. "Today, you make history as the 60th graduating class of Lorain County Community College," LCCC President Marcia Ballinger said in her welcome address. "As you earn your degree, you join the proud legacy of the 46,000 LCCC graduates who came before you. I am so proud of each of you." LCCC's 2024 graduating class included 2,040 students graduating with a combined 2,364 degrees or credentials earned through the college. Of those students, 1,790 earned degrees or certificates, 2,108 of them in total, including nine Bachelor of Applied Science degrees; 263 graduates earned bachelor's or master's degrees through the LCCC University Partnership. Ballinger placed those new graduates in the legacy of the many who came before them, starting in 1964 when the college's first graduating class of 33 completed their classes. She spoke about one of those early graduates, Georgeane Poplar, who taught for decades using the knowledge she gained at LCCC. "Graduates, like Georgeane, each of you represent stories of transformation," Baallinger said. "Stories of second chances, of unlocked potential, and of finding the courage to turn a dream into reality. You represent our legacy, and our future — and I know we are in good hands." In 2019, LCCC launched a plan to graduate 10,000 students with degrees or certificates between 2019 and 2025. With Saturday's class, the college met that goal a year ahead of schedule, Ballinger said. The college shared a news release on Saturday spotlighting a few members of the graduating class, who represent the diversity of opportunities and paths at LCCC. One dual-enrolled student graduating was Myles Riggins, 18, a graduate of Oberlin High School. Riggins will now transfer to Ohio State University and plans to earn a bachelor of arts in public management, leadership and policy, followed by a master of public administration. He plans to return home with that knowledge to serve Lorain County. "I have a real attachment to Lorain County," Riggins said in the release. "I grew up here. I care about social issues, and I care about people. That's my thing." China Taylor, 25, a technical sergeant in the Ohio Air National Guard, graduated on Saturday with an associate degree in nursing. In a release, Taylor said she chose LCCC because its students pass the National Council Licensure Examination at a high rate — this year that pass rate was 93 percent. Taylor, a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital, is also a member of the 44 percent of graduates who were the first in their family to receive a college degree or credential. Also already working in his field of choice is graduate John Martin, 20, of Oberlin. Martin one of four students selected to work on a National Science Foundation-backed project to study designs for devices used in the treatment of pediatric scoliosis. "John's not only an amazing student, he's also an amazing person," Regan Silvestri, the LCCC professor who led the project, said in a release. "As we worked through our research project, John seemed to have a natural gut instinct as to what was the right thing to do as we solved this curious engineering puzzle of a project." Martin is enrolled in LCCC's University Partnership program with the University of Toledo Another student highlighted was Emily Williams, 23, of Grafton. Williams was one of the nine members of the Class of 2024 to graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Science, hers in the field of microelectronic manufacturing. Williams was featured in a story in The Chronicle in December, when she helped give state Rep. Bob Latta a tour of the college's micro electromechanical systems program and lab. She has accepted a job as a facilities engineer for Intel Corporation. "Intel provides a lot of opportunities for you to explore various gigs and roles within the company, which will help me discover within my own career the different paths I might want to take," Williams said. Whatever each graduate's next steps were, Ballinger told them they would need to continue learning as they worked to build their own legacy. "I encourage you to think about your own legacy," Ballinger said. "By earning your degree, you've established your commitment to higher education and expanding your career options and earning potential. I hope you continue to build upon these achievements as lifelong learners, in the classroom and also in your daily lives. And most of all, I hope you continue to become active members of your community — using your knowledge and skills to lift those around you and creating a legacy of excellence."