Graduation Ceremonies Give Nod to Past, Look to Future
Thomas Nelson's 53rd commencement exercises truly were special. From the keynote speaker to the three years of graduates to the issuing of the last Thomas Nelson Community College diplomas, the May 16 event was unlike any other in the history of the College.
"Graduates, you are an exceptional group," President Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon told those gathered at Liberty Live Church for the College's first in-person graduation since 2019.
She noted many community college graduates, in addition to course work, have to navigate working multiple jobs, or no jobs; have to manage a tight budget and family responsibilities; have to learn how to live without a family member or loved one who's serving our country in another location; or struggle with homelessness, depression, and anxiety.
"This group, however, the Thomas Nelson Community College graduation classes of 2020, '21 and '22, faced the challenge that no other group alive ever has," she said. "These graduates completed their educational journey during not only a global pandemic and a global economic crisis, and all while adopting new ways of learning and the constant uncertainty of what might come next."
By never giving up, the students showed graduation is much more than an indication of academic success.
The evening's keynote speaker, Dr. Jonathan Romero, knows a thing or two about not giving up. It took him many years, and more than one try to earn his associate degree. His first attempt came in 1984 when he was fresh out of high school. After a stint in the military and a successful career, he gave college another try. It had bothered him he never earned a degree.
"At the ripe old age of 42, I decided to go back to school, and who was waiting for me with open arms? Thomas Nelson Community College," he said.
It wasn't long ago, May 2011 in fact, when he was sitting in the audience as a Thomas Nelson graduate. He didn't stop there. He followed with a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and in May 2021, he earned his doctoral degree.
He hasn't forgotten where that journey started, calling Thomas Nelson a "savior" for him. He also knows why it didn't work out the first time, and he implored the graduates to learn from his mistake.
"I focused more on other folks' opinion of who I was and what I was supposed to do with my life," he said.
There are many paths to success, he noted, and only you know what your success will look like. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do when he graduated from high school, and he was convinced college wasn't for him, or he wasn't college material.
"I wasn't enough of my own champion," he said. "I finally became my own champion."
Pointing out the graduating students had just completed one of the hardest parts of their educational journey by just getting started, he told them to be their best advocate.
Other words of wisdom he shared:
- Have confidence in yourself to take risks.
- It's OK to stray from the original plan if needed, as long as you are moving forward.
- Don't be scared if you don't do things in the right order.
- To get something you've never had, you must do some things that you've never done.
- Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something, especially not yourself. Keep whispering "Why not me?" to yourself.
Among the roughly 300 students who walked across the stage were 34 from Phoebus High School's Academy of the College Experience (ACE). They received their associate degree before receiving their high school diploma.
"These ACE Class of 2022 students have worked incredibly hard over the past four years, first by maintaining their GPA, taking the most difficult classes possible, and passing the Thomas Nelson entrance exam to secure their place in ACE," said Patrice Williams, principal of the ACE program.
They started at the College in the 2020-21 school year, taking dual enrollment classes online despite having little experience in virtual learning. They transitioned to a hybrid learning model, and excelled despite the difficulties of the pandemic. Plans for the graduates include the military, four-year institutions, and beginning professional trades.
This is the second graduating class of the ACE program, with 26 in last year's class.
Next year's event is expected to be just as special. Thomas Nelson Community College is becoming Virginia Peninsula Community College, so next year's class will be the first under the new name.