News
MCC awards degrees and certificates during 57th annual commencement
Montcalm Community College awarded 154 degrees and certificates May 3 during its 57th annual commencement ceremony in the gymnasium on the college’s Sidney campus.
Ty Hallock, CCIM Vice President of Real Estate Development for First Companies, and MCC student Gwenyth Platte, of Ionia, addressed the graduates and their guests.
Platte, an Early College student who graduated with a MiTransfer Pathway Social Work Associate of Arts degree, shared her experiences at MCC and how they shaped her journey.
“As I look out onto the crowd of students before me, I see a collection of people who have shown great strength, drive, and dedication to themselves and to the people that they will positively affect with their respective degrees,” she said. “Many of us came to MCC with a dream and leave with a passion.
“When I was released to college courses my first semester, it was as if a spark started in my soul, one that would soon unfurl into a roaring flame,” she said. “As I entered each semester, I felt as though I was at the precipice of purpose: I could feel the flame growing in my chest. This flame of passion and purpose grew to roaring heights. This flame, this passion, will propel me to my biggest dream. Without this very institution, that flame would not have grown to its current heights. My hope is that MCC has granted my fellow hard-working graduates such an honor; that those of you sitting here awaiting your diplomas feel a growing passion as I do, that will drive you to realize your dreams.”
She had a long list of people to thank, including her fellow graduates.
“I would also like to thank ‘us,’ all the students here today,” Platte said. “We showed up for ourselves every day to get a degree that will someday help us attain our most potent dreams. For showing up for ourselves when it felt as though the world were caving in. For showing up even when it was the last thing that we wanted to do. For showing up despite. For showing up because. For showing up for you. That is a most admirable power that each and every one of us possesses, and I hope that we bring this with us in all our future endeavors.”
Hallock talked about how he was raised in Greenville, his roots are in the area, and how MCC was such a special place to him while growing up. He also shared how athletics played a role in his life at Michigan State University and in the professional football world.
“Today I have just a few things I would like to discuss with you as you start the next phase of your journey,” he said. “I believe you need to maintain your health, mental and physical. I believe you should always look to make a difference, small and big. Don’t waste your life by not doing so.”
He told the graduates to always be the victor, not the victim. He lives by valuing relationships and talked about how they really mattered.
He ended his speech with a quote from Aristotle.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
In addition, Nursing Instructor Tabitha Keiffer, of Carson City, received the Leslie K. Morford Faculty Recognition Award; Adjunct Instructor Dave Hansen, of Lakeview, received the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award; and Emily Petersen, of Grand Island, Neb., was honored with the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
Candidates for degrees and certificates included:
Associate of Applied Science – Accounting
Belding
Taylor Kirk, honors.
Grand Rapids
Frederick Schmidt.
Associate of Applied Science - Agribusiness
Greenville
Marleigh Worden, high honors.
Lowell
Emily German, honors.
Associate of Applied Science - Agricultural Operations
Greenville
Karter Senn.
Howard City
Jeff Marek Jr., honors.
Lowell
Emily German, honors.
Morley
Tanner Carr.
Associate of Applied Science - Business Entrepreneurship
Grand Rapids
Rose Scholl.
Associate of Applied Science - Business Management
Belding
Maria Tomich, honors.
Edmore
Morgan Haney, honors.
Greenville
Sawyer Bowers; Britney Draper, honors; Alia Ingersoll; Grace Ormsbee.
Howard City
Saige Shepard, honors; Brooke Thorington.
Lakeview
Ashley Delamater, honors; Justine Saxton; Brandy Stephens, honors.
Newaygo
Amy Olds, high honors.
Orleans
Brooklyn Challender, honors.
Riverdale
Kayden Wilmot.
Sand Lake
Valerie Flynn, high honors.
Sheridan
Mitchell Herald, high honors.
Trufant
Anika Cooper-Milliken.
Associate of Applied Science - Business Marketing
Greenville
Sawyer Bowers.
Ionia
Emily Priest-Clarmont.
Sidney
Jack Bowman.
Associate of Applied Science - Computer Network Administration
Edmore
Matthew Mangus.
Greenville
Andrew Bunce, honors; Jacob Jensen, honors.
Stanton
Trevor Wireman.
Associate of Applied Science - Criminal Justice
Cedar Springs
Matthew Walma, honors.
Greenville
Anthony Haney.
Sand Lake
Christian Hornbacher.
Associate of Applied Science - Digital Arts
Fenwick
Ava Shaw, high honors.
Greenville
Paul Nowak III, honors.
Muir
Lorraine Putnam.
Sidney
Makenna Weber, high honors.
Stanton
Amanda Marvin, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science - Early Child Education
Belding
Alissa Emelander, honors.
Blanchard
Raelyn McElhinny-Stork, high honors.
Cedar Springs
Zachary Boorsma, high honors.
Howard City
Annette Bunker-Fellows, honors.
Ionia
Monet Ackley, honors; Michelle Schumacher, honors.
Lakeview
Valerie Rohloff, high honors.
Sheridan
Jennifer Henke, honors.
Stanton
Drew Train.
Associate of Applied Science - Education Support
Belding
Beth Pawloski, high honors.
Greenville
Mici Bos, honors; Robert Snedden.
Associate of Applied Science - Industrial Automation Maintenance
Greenville
Dennis Hobbs, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science - Medical Office Administration
Edmore
Hana Deal, high honors.
Greenville
Armanda Compagnari; Stacie Dye, high honors; Sheila Edwards; Kayla Flanders, high honors: Heidi Wagner, honors.
Howard City
Angela Ringler, high honors.
Sheridan
Stacey Senn.
Trufant
Samantha Harrington, high honors.
Vestaburg
Barbara Brauher, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science - Nursing Professional Track
Alma
Aubrie Dunlap.
Crystal
Alyssa Gillson, high honors.
Gowen
Carrie Russo.
Grand Rapids
Kaitlin Huisken, honors.
Howard City
Kiana Hackbardt.
Lake Odessa
Emily Justice, honors.
Rockford
Reygan Holt, honors; Courtney Jack, honors.
Sparta
Courtney Rickert, honors.
Stanton
Camryn Peterman, honors.
Stanwood
Katie Russ.
Trufant
Kendra Whipkey, honors.
Vestaburg
Brandi Smith.
Associate of Applied Science - Registered Nursing (ADN)
Alma
Aubrie Dunlap; Breanne Ortiz, honors.
Belding
Candice Sager.
Cedar Springs
Katie Greene, high honors.
Comstock Park
Dereck Sissell.
Coopersville
Leah Bristol; Caroline Panoff.
Crystal
Alexa Edwards.
Gowen
Kaitlyn Bremer; Mellissa Clark, high honors; Carrie Russo.
Grand Rapids
Madison Doty; Baleigh French, honors; Kaitlin Huisken, honors; Sylvia Masili; Kassie Miller, high honors; Mason Winters, honors.
Grant
Ashley Herin.
Greenville
Serena Larsen, honors; Elise Parks; Peggy Port.
Howard City
Brittany Hopping; Abigail Swackhammer, high honors.
Ionia
Amanda Dufresne.
Jenison
Scout Daley, honors.
Lake Odessa
Emily Justice, honors.
Lakeview
Raychel Nielsen.
Lansing
Stephanie Fox.
Lowell
Mikayla Nault.
Mecosta
Charles Davis III, honors.
Morley
Joseph Normand.
Mt. Pleasant
Donelda Lawson, honors.
Newaygo
Nicole VanderZyl, honors.
Rockford
Reygan Holt, honors; Courtney Jack, honors; Lia Madden.
Saint Louis
Amber Archuleta, honors: Madelline Fisher.
Saranac
Jagger Carigon, high honors.
Sparta
Courtney Rickert, honors.
Stanton
Camryn Peterman, honors.
Stanwood
Katie Russ.
Trufant
Kendra Whipkey, honors.
Vestaburg
Leiah Beach; Brandi Smith.
Associate of Applied Science - Skilled Trades
Fowler
Thomas Loudenbeck, honors.
Associate of Applied Science - Technical Design in Manufacturing
Ionia
Brett Steinhaus, high honors.
Associate of Applied Science - Web Developer & Programming
Morley
Cody Moyer, honors.
Associate of Applied Science - Welding
Lakeview
Christopher Burmeister, honors.
Sheridan
Stacy Knowlton, honors.
Associate of Arts - MiTransfer Pathway Psychology
Carson City
Kayla Holford, honors.
Fenwick
Kennedy Betancourt, honors.
Greenville
Charlotte Greene, high honors; Isabelle Van Haren, honors.
Howard City
Cambra Zemla, high honors.
Sand Lake
Charlie Ellick, high honors.
Sheridan
Kelli Brown, high honors.
Associate of Arts - MiTransfer Pathway Social Work
Carson City
Jazlyn Johnson, honors.
Howard City
Aiden Bergeron.
Ionia
Gwenyth Platte, high honors.
Sheridan
Kelli Brown, high honors; Gabrielle McGowan.
Associate of Science - MiTransfer Pathway Business
Greenville
Emmalee Battig.
Pierson
Jeremy Portell Jr.
Associate of Science – Pre-Animal Health Technology
Saranac
Gwendolyn Wolfgang.
Associate of Science & Arts - Associate of Science & Arts
Belding
Alexis Candido, high honors; Kyle Gillespie, honors; Felix Purcey.
Blanchard
Hannah Underhill, honors.
Carson City
Isabelle Erekson, high honors; Brett Jones, honors; Donzell Slack; Ashley Smith, high honors.
Cedar Springs
Ana Bauer, honors.
Fenwick
Mark DeLeon.
Gowen
Anna Berry, honors; Krista Courser, high honors; Grace Phillips; Alexis Skarl.
Greenville
Caleb Austin, high honors; Jessica Butler; Andrew Caswell; Pedro Espada; Annette Fare, high honors; Emmalee Gunderson; Josephine Lake, honors; Corey Ledin-Bristol, honors; Jenna Lynn, honors; Henry Merren, high honors; Owen Merren, high honors; Jade Mollo, honors; Jeremy O'Neal, honors; Conner Ripley; Taylor Rumsey, high honors.
Howard City
Aiden Bergeron.
Hubbardston
Joshua Billings, honors.
Imlay City
Sarah Boyd.
Ionia
Kenneth Hubbard, honors; Ashleigh Pischl, honors.
Perrinton
Elizabeth Sheahan, high honors.
Sand Lake
Elizabeth Wetzel.
Sheridan
Stacy Knowlton, honors.
Sidney
Britney Wittkopp.
Six Lakes
Logan Clack, honors; Madison Greenhoe, honors.
Stanton
Kailey Brown, honors; Alicia Harris, high honors.
Trufant
Ella Baty; Paigelyn Becker; Brookelynn Boomer.
Certificate - Apprenticeship Training
Belding
Mikaela Crumback, honors.
Carson City
Patricia Fernandez-Kirvan.
Charlotte
Terry Stauffer, honors.
Fenwick
Zachary Scheid, honors.
Grand Rapids
Tiffany Losey, high honors.
Greenville
Joshua Denton, honors; Nicholas Taft, honors.
Ionia
Dennis Jankowiak, high honors; Adam McKendry, high honors; Tyler Miller, high honors; Matthew Monroe, honors.
Lyons
Joshua Dowling, honors.
Saranac
Austin Kelley, high honors.
Certificate - Business Management
Ionia
Amber Carlson, high honors; Emily Priest-Clarmont.
Certificate - Criminal Justice/Corrections
Stanton
Erin Ferguson.
Certificate - Early Child Development
Howard City
Annette Bunker-Fellows, honors.
Certificate - Liberal Studies
Blanchard
Hannah Underhill, honors.
Cedar Springs
Ana Bauer, honors.
Fenwick
Elizabeth Stinson, honors.
Gowen
Kassidy Lake, honors; Jack Swanson, honors.
Grand Rapids
Baleigh French, honors.
Greenville
Jessica Butler; Emalee Forist, honors; Emmalee Gunderson; Danielle Harig, high honors; Addison Howard, honors; Corey Ledin-Bristol, honors; Jeremy O’Neal, honors: Isabelle Van Haren, honors; Ty Zamarron.
Howard City
May Shepard; Cambra Zemla, high honors.
Imlay City
Sarah Boyd.
Ionia
Kenneth Hubbard, honors; Ashleigh Pischl, honors.
Newaygo
Jaclyn Ketchum.
Pierson
Alexzia Brazier, high honors.
Sand Lake
Charlie Ellick, high honors.
Six Lakes
Logan Clack, honors.
Stanton
Andrew Hardy.
Certificate - Skilled Trades - Machinist
Cedar Springs
Christopher Carr, high honors.
Certificate - Skilled Trades - Maintenance Mechanic
Carson City
William Wyatt.
Certificate - Skilled Trades - Tool & Die Maker/Designer
Cedar Springs
Christopher Carr, high honors.
Certificate - Welding Technology
Greenville
Zackary Naranjo.
Media inquiries, please contact:
Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833