Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to Address Graduates at 23rd Commencement of St. Charles Community College

Published: 05/03/2011

More than 650 students are eligible to graduate, including students who meet the completion requirements for certificates or degrees as of last December or for March, May and August of the year 2011, according to Kathy Brockgreitens-Gober, dean of enrollment services.

At least 63 candidates will receive the Associate of Applied Science degree, at least 75 will receive the Associate of Science degree, another 50 will receive the Certificate of Achievement, 438 will receive the Associate of Arts degree, and 38 will receive the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree. Others who are finishing up requirements as of this summer were also eligible to apply for spring commencement, Brockgreitens-Gober said.

More than 200 graduates will receive the “honors,” “high honors,” or “highest honors” distinction, and many of them are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of community colleges.

The sixth annual Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to James Hall III of St. Charles, sixth grade science teacher at Orchard Farm Middle School. Michael Lissner, president of the SCC Foundation Board, will present the award.

The student speaker will be Sam Imperiale, an Associate of Arts degree graduate from St. Peters, Mo. John Bookstaver, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, will serve as the commencement marshal.

This year’s commencement speaker, Gov. Jay Nixon, is serving his first term as governor of Missouri. Garnering the highest margin of victory for a non-incumbent governor in 44 years, Nixon was overwhelmingly elected by Missourians as their 55th governor on Nov. 4, 2008. Among his educational priorities, Gov. Nixon is focusing on extending the A+ scholarship program, increasing the number of graduates in Missouri and keeping college tuition affordable. Nixon received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. For more information, visit http://governor.mo.gov.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.