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Kirkwood Community College to Honor 2,900 Graduates

By May 10, 2011January 11th, 2019No Comments

Congratulations to all graduates

Kirkwood Community College will soon honor more than 2,900 students taking positive steps for their futures. The college will hold commencement ceremonies for its college credit and GED/adult high school programs in mid-May. Both ceremonies will be held at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Kirkwood will confer more than 2,400 college credit degrees, diplomas and certificates for study in the past academic year. Graduates come from 76 Iowa counties, 20 states and 25 countries. They range in age from 14 to 74.

According to one recent study, these graduates should be better off looking for employment now, than in the recent past. The National Association of Colleges and Employers said employers plan to hire 19.3 percent more recent graduates this year, than last year. It’s the first double-digit increase since 2007.

“Many students came to us in the past few years when the economy turned south, and jobs were disappearing,” said Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich. “Now, with their degrees in hand, they’re heading into a job market that is looking the best it has for new graduates, in quite a few years.”

Kirkwood‘s college-credit commencement will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14. Kirkwood Board of Trustees Chair Lois Bartelme will greet the audience on behalf of the college, with Gary Donnermeyer, president of the Kirkwood Faculty Association sharing the instructor’s perspective on the students’ accomplishments. Alyssa Foster of Riverside, Iowa will add comments on her student experiences. Foster is a member of the Kirkwood Student Senate and will receive her Associate of Science degree at the May 14 ceremonies. She will transfer to Iowa State in the fall to study agriculture. President Starcevich will complete the speaker’s schedule with his remarks to the graduates.

The college will also award more than 500 GED and adult high school diplomas. Theses will be awarded at the Kirkwood Adult High School Commencement, on Friday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. President Starcevich will address the students. Three student graduates, Michael Sevart, Melissa McArtor and Maria Garcia, will share their stories at the ceremony.

Both ceremonies are free and open to the public.