Pinellas Times

St. Petersburg College issued the following announcement.

Earning a degree or certificate, especially for many St. Petersburg College students who have families and jobs, is never easy. But the college’s Fall 2020 graduating class came to the finish line under the extra stressor of a global pandemic. This forced them to face many additional challenges, including new modes of instruction, layoffs, illness and, for some, loss. But the grads persevered and earned the degrees and certificates that they had worked so hard to get.

With the health risks posed by COVID-19, SPC had to get creative in their effort to honor these graduates and keep everyone safe. So, the college marked a milestone with its first virtual commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 12.

The prerecorded SPC graduation ceremony premiered on YouTube at 11:45 a.m. with images of graduates appearing on screen along with their names and degrees earned. There was also a chat box where family and friends, along with SPC faculty and staff, could post messages.

Virtually the Same

As with past commencements, SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams opened the noon ceremony with remarks of support and congratulations.

“Despite the challenges our students faced this year, they rose above it all and kept their eyes on the prize,” Williams said. “I am so incredibly proud of the grit and determination they’ve shown to get to this very special milestone.”

SPC student Kyleigh Long sang the National Anthem, and students Andrew Davis and Alyssa Kovatch conducted the Pledge of Allegiance, both in voice and in American Sign Language.

Nursing graduate Thanh Nguyen addressed his graduating class.

“We have accomplished a major milestone in our lives,” Nguyen said. “2020 has been a most difficult year for all of us, but we’re grateful to be here to celebrate this moment.”

Nguyen, who came to SPC five years ago to learn English, commended the college for the support he received on the path to his degree.

“Thank you, SPC, for giving me the opportunity to make my dream come true. You set high standards but provided tremendous support throughout my journey,” he said.

In her speech, Michelle Rutkowski, who earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Organizational Leadership, thanked programs like SPC’s Women on the Way for supporting her as a student also raising a child single handed.

“I was a single parent, working full time and finishing my degree,” Rutkowski said. “I also faced financial hardship and tragic personal experiences. But SPC is like a second family and offers many services for students.”

By the Numbers

After the remarks, SPC awarded 2,026 degrees and certificates for the Fall 2020 Term, including:

• 876 Associate in Arts degrees
• 410 Associate in Science degrees
• 357 Bachelor of Applied Science degrees
• 273 Bachelor of Science degrees
• 110 certifications  

Each graduate’s name was called, as a slide appeared on screen with their names, degree, and a personal message written by the honoree. With this graduating class, SPC will have awarded 182,174 degrees since the college – Florida’s first community college – was founded in 1927. The graduate’s ages ranged from 17 to 75 years old, with 102 being aged 50 or older.

In her closing remarks, Rutkowski summed up the value of her degree in business terms.

“In Business, we discuss ROI – return on investment. We have made the greatest investment in ourselves. The return is immeasurable.”

Friends and family can watch the ceremony on demand at spcgraduation.com.

Original source can be found here.