Verde Valley News – Yavapai College honored its graduates of the Verde Valley campus during the Verde Valley campus commencement ceremony on Sat., May 3 in Clarkdale.
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Tania Sheldahl opened the event by welcoming the graduates, their families, and members of the faculty and college leadership.
Keynote speaker Meredith Dunlap-Sterrett, graduate of Yavapai College and Senior Vice President for National Bank of Arizona, addressed the graduates by reflecting on her time as a student at YC.
“Yavapai was more than a college to me – it was a place where I gained confidence, built lifelong friendships, and learned what I was capable of,” she said. “Thanks to the support of strong, inspiring professors, I learned how to lead, how to listen, and how to push through challenging times.”
Faculty speaker and Yavapai College Faculty Senate President Dr. Alex Barber asked members of the Class of 2025 to “remember that a step forward is a step in the right direction.”
He continued, “As you step across the stage today, you are continuing along a path that may have begun so many years ago in elementary school, middle school, and high school. Those steps included constantly traveling to school, supported by your family, friends, teachers, coaches, and mentors. Those steps have been challenging for some of you, with many positive experiences and memories to last a lifetime filled with smiles and laughter.”
Student speaker Susanna Marcinek detailed her personal struggles during her teenage years, recalling that “I told myself higher education I told myself higher education was not a possibility for me because I didn’t come from money like many of my peers and had decided that I wasn’t worth putting any effort into.”
She continued, “I decided all my circumstances were more than just coincidence. Here today, I am a recipient of a full undergraduate tuition scholarship to the University of Arizona on a pre-medicine track because I wish to carry on one of my mother’s many beautiful legacies she left behind.”
Yavapai College President Dr. Lisa Rhine expressed the importance of dreams and the role of community colleges, saying “Never let it be said that dreaming is a waste of one’s time, for dreams are realities in waiting.”
“In dreams, we plant the seeds of our future. Dreams motivate and inspire. Dreams cause us to persevere under difficult circumstances, and dreams create a focus in our lives. Dreams are realized at community colleges. The beautiful thing about the community college is the diversity in age and types of students that attend.”
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, three baccalaureate degrees (with one more pending accreditation approval), student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.