More than 3,600
graduates, ranging in age from 16 to 69, were honored Friday morning at the
Maverik Center in West Valley City during commencement exercises for Salt Lake
Community College. This year’s graduates include 1,553 students who are the
first in their families to receive college degrees and 144 military veterans.
Most of this
year’s graduates earned degrees from the school’s General Studies program
followed by business, nursing, psychology, computer science, criminal justice
and health sciences.
The event’s
keynote address was given by New England Patriots wide receiver, 2017 Super
Bowl Champion and award-winning children’s book author Malcom J. Mitchell, who
reminded graduates that while the “climb to the top of the mountain” is full of
challenges, every challenge provides an opportunity.
Malcom J. Mitchell
Mitchell shared a
story about how his mother inspired him to keep playing football when he wanted
to quit. He talked about overcoming numerous injuries to eventually become a
Super Bowl champion with the Patriots. The four keys to success, he said, are
simply to do what you say you’re going to do, be on time, say ‘thank you,’ and treat
every day as a new opportunity. “When you follow these steps, you won’t have to
find success, I promise you,” Mitchell said. “Success will begin to look for
you.”
Also, during the
event, SLCC Association President Aynoa Rincon encouraged her fellow graduates
to keep learning and “never to lose faith in life.”
Aynoa Rincon
“Learn new
languages, new cultures, travel, help and serve your community, learn how to
work with other people who have a different perspective from yours and respect
them the same way you would like to be respected,” Rincon said. “Don’t let
other people’s opinions drag you down, even when they say you’re wrong. Follow
your intuition in your heart – it somehow already knows what you truly want to
become.”
SLCC President Dr.
Deneece G. Huftalin also addressed the graduates. “Let yourself be silently
drawn by the strange pull of what you really love,” she said. “It will not lead
you astray. I hope throughout your life you will find a way to tap into the
magnetic force of what you really love and let it silently guide you.
Dental hygiene graduates celebrate.
In addition to
recognizing its 2018 graduates, SLCC awarded Ashok Joshi and Pam Perlich with
honorary doctorates. Both have made significant contributions to SLCC and the
community over the years. Joshi is a past SLCC trustee and most recently served
as the executive director of Technology Holding, LLC. Perlich is currently
serving as Director of Demographic Research at the Kem C. Gardner Institute at
the University of Utah. She previously taught economics at the U of U and Westminster
College.
Angela H. Brown,
executive director of SLUG Magazine and Manoli Katsanevas, owner of Manoli’s
restaurant were honored with SLCC’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award. In
addition, three college faculty members, Gordon Storrs, Dr. Kristen Taylor and
Dr. Deidre Tyler, received this year’s SLCC Teaching Excellence awards.
Several students
were also individually recognized with the college’s 2018 Graduates of
Excellence awards. Honorees include Aaron Hornok, Alondra Melendez Rivas, Blake
Hrubes, David Johnson, Ethel Wilson, Febechukwu Megwalu and Nathan Le Duc. Also
receiving special recognition was Utah State Senator Evan J. Vickers, who was
named as SLCC’s Legislative Champion.
