Montcalm Community College awarded 154 degrees and certificates May 3 during its 57^th 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