HUDSON, NC (May 13, 2024) ⇒ Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute honored 933 graduates during ceremonies held Friday, May 10 at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir.
CCC&TI trustees Jerry Church and Dale Hamby opened the ceremonies by welcoming special guests, congratulating the graduates, and listing some of the Class of 2024’s accomplishments.
The Class of 2024 included:
• 354 first-generation college graduates
• Graduates ranging in age from 16 to 75, with the average age being 25
• 55 graduates who earned multiple credentials
• 28 Dream Scholars
• 37 TRIO/Student Support Services graduates
• 30 student athletes
• 90 individuals who earned their high school credential and
• 275 adult learners
CCC&TI trustee Ann Smith presented this year’s Trustees’ Student Award of Merit to Paralegal graduate Kyle Phipps. Caldwell Early College High School graduate Erin Shows also earned the Trustees Award of Merit and was recognized during an earlier celebration for CECHS graduates. Recipients of the awards are selected based on faculty nominations for outstanding academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community service. Both recipients received plaques and a monetary award in recognition of their achievements.
Former CCC&TI President Dr. Kenneth Boham delivered the keynote address during the ceremonies, which also commemorated the college’s 60th anniversary and the college’s founding in 1964.
In his introduction, CCC&TI President Dr. Mark Poarch discussed Boham’s long career in education and his impact on CCC&TI as president of the college from 1995 to 2016. “During his tenure, CCC&TI experienced phenomenal growth in both enrollment and campus facilities. It was Dr. Boham’s pioneering spirit that led to funding for the expansion of CCC&TI’s programs and campuses, including CCC&Tl’s first permanent campus in Watauga County,” said Poarch. “Dr. Boham put the DNA in CCC&TI that lives on today through the college’s focus on student success and innovative leadership. Dr. Boham has left a legacy at CCC&TI and the North Carolina Community College System that will live on for the next 60 years and beyond. Please welcome back home my friend, my mentor, and one of the best -residents in the business, Dr. Ken Boham.”
In his address, Boham encouraged graduates to be true to themselves, to continue to pursue educational opportunities, to rise above fear and anxiety, learn from mistakes, communicate authentically and listen with love. “Don’t stop learning, honor your skills; you are now on a lifelong journey. Do to others better than you would have them do to you. Be the best at whatever you study and congratulations. I wish for each of you, the very best.”
In his charge to graduates, CCC&TI President Dr. Mark Poarch congratulated students on their accomplishments and reminded them that the day’s celebration was about their achievements and reaching this very important milestone in their lives. “As we celebrate this monumental time in the college’s history, students I want you to know that, yes – it is the college’s Diamond Anniversary, but it is your time to shine,” said Poarch. “The degree, diploma or certificate that you are receiving today can never be taken away from you. Like a diamond, it is yours forever. But it is up to you as to what you do with it. So, class of 2024, the challenge is set, it is your time to shine! Congratulations!”
Poarch closed the ceremonies by conferring to graduates the credentials they had earned and having them ceremoniously turn their tassels to indicate their official graduate status.
